Picture That
by kfizzlewizzle92
Summary: AU Austin is a very successful photographer who has been asked to shoot an upcoming actress, Ally Dawson. What happens when Ally catches on to Austin's womanizing ways? Lots of flirting. Lots of bantering. Lots of falling for someone you're not supposed to fall for.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Austin & Ally fic but I've recently discovered that I'm insanely in love with Laura Marano so I figured I'd give it a shot. This is super A/U. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear what you guys have to say about it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally.**

"Austin, your client is here."

The photographer looked up from his desk to see his red headed best friend/assistant peeking his head around the door to the office.

"Thanks, Dez. Go ahead and start setting up her lighting. I'll be right out." As he said this he drug his hands through his shaggy blonde locks before giving his head a quick shake to wake himself up. His sleep schedule was slightly wonky having stayed up to entertain a previous client whose name he had already forgotten. But hey, it was totally worth it.

Apart from being an award-winning photographer to the stars, Austin Moon was considered quite the womanizer. He himself would object to that point, stating rather that he simply enjoyed the company of beautiful women. When your schedule was as full as his was it made it difficult to find time to go out and date, so he just made do with what he had. Not all of his conquests led to sex. But not all of them didn't.

He sighed and picked up his travel mug throwing back the room temperature, sluggy, mixture inside of it that could barely be called coffee. He should really invest in one of those Keurig things because this tasted like shit.

Setting the mug back down, he closed the MacBook that he had previously been editing shots on and headed out into his studio. This place was his pride and joy. He had bought it as nothing more than a run down old warehouse on the top floor of an NYC building. The walls were a dark red brick, giving the entire space a rustic feel, while Austin himself (with the help of Dez) had installed cherry wood floors to cover the hodgepodge colored concrete that was originally displayed in the studio. His family had asked why he hadn't hired a contractor to do it. Austin had told them that he was a man's man. They laughed blatantly in his face.

Covering a vast 50 feet long space, one of the walls of the studio had floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto the bustling city below. It was one of the reasons he had chosen the warehouse. Being able to look down onto the streets of the city that never sleeps and seeing thousands of people milling around reminded him that there was more to life than just his photography. He never did anything about it, but he liked the reminder. The windows also provided for some stellar lighting on certain days, but when they didn't he just pulled down the black out screens to minimize interference.

At the back of the warehouse was a storage space used for props and backdrops. When he didn't photograph on location he had more than enough pieces of set design to still make for a great shoot. A couple of his other assistants were setting up a set along the back wall. Judging by the red velvet curtains and cream-colored sofa with claw feet he was reminded that it was a vintage burlesque shoot. He pulled his eyes away from the assistants (who strongly resembled a pack of worker bees) and scanned the room for Dez. The taller guy was lingering towards the elevator into the studio facing a shorter Latina girl with wild hair. I mean some crazy wild hair. He'd have to get with his make up people later to ask them the difficulty of trying to tame it. But between them is where Austin's eyes landed. There stood a girl who couldn't be more than 5'2", in skin hugging black leggings with a dark grey baggy t-shirt coming to right below her butt. The shirt seemed to be made of a light material because you could practically see through it to her black bandeau bra. His eyes trailed up from her brown mid ankle combat boots, over the muscles in her calves and the tightness of her thighs. Although her ass was hidden from his sight he could only imagine how delectable it would look. Continuing his investigation, he marveled at the lustrous thick curls cascading down her back. While the ends of her hair seemed to look more caramel colored, the rest was the color of pure chocolate. Crazy hair should get some tips from this girl, he thought to himself.

He saw Dez motioning him over and so he went, racking his brain for the name of his client. Alyson Dawson! That was it. She was an unknown who just joined as a main cast member on a TV show that was thought to be the next big thing when it premiered in the fall. Of course, weren't all TV shows that premiered in the fall though? This one was supposed to be about Vampires and a love triangle or something. Who knows. He thought that crap had died off with Twilight. Clearly he was wrong.

As he neared the trio, he saw Dez gesture to him. "This is Austin Moon, Your photographer."

"Trish DeLaGarza." Crazy hair…er Trish…held out her hand for him to shake.

He gave her a smile and shook it firmly, "Austin Moon."

"And I'm-"

"Alyson Dawson." Austin interrupted her reaching out to shake her hand as well. Getting his first look at her face he was at a loss for words. Sure he had seen plenty of beautiful women in his day, he was a photographer after all, but this girl had something about her. There was an air to those big brown eyes that seemed naively innocent. Yet trailing down to her full heart shaped lips, he could just imagine how they'd feel wrapped around his-

"Do you often make it a habit to interrupt your models, Mr. Moon?" She teased with a raised eyebrow, noticing exactly where his gaze was lingering.

Feisty. He wasn't expecting that. But he kind of liked it. "Only the ones I like." He threw at her with a wink.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes before finally letting herself look around the studio. This place was beautiful. Looking out the windows you could see Ellis Island and Lady Liberty off at a distance, and many buildings slightly shorter than this one. Above, the ceilings were at least 20 feet tall with beams and AC ducts running everywhere. She automatically felt comfortable. Until she looked at the man across from her.

His bright eyes were the first things that she noticed about him. Although they held bags underneath them, which showed his weariness, they shone bright with a thirst. For what she wasn't sure. His hair was a blonde that women use a bottle their whole life to accomplish, but she just knew his was natural. He had on a simple white v-neck, fitted jeans, and some white high tops. Beach Boy in Manhattan she thought with a grin.

Unfortunately she knew of his reputation and for that reason she laughed at his wink. If he thought he'd score with her he certainly had another thing coming. She may be new to showbiz but she certainly wasn't new to men. Her wall was up high with Mr. Austin Moon.

"So, Alyson. Should we get started?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I only got one review last chapter so I figured I can post another one so that you guys can get more involved with the story and my writing style. So yeah this is a shameless plug for reviews. Please review and follow! I love getting to know you all!**

**Shout out to I love Austin and Ally Stories for being my only review. This chapter is dedicated to you. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally.**

"No way, Trish," Ally stated flatly as she saw herself for the first time in the full body mirror. The black negligee stopped just below her most private parts and had a garter with red trim wrapped around her upper thigh. While she was quite used to walking in heels, the four inch black pumps made her look less like a sex goddess and more like a streetwalker.

"Ally, you have to wear this it's what the network wanted."

Ally let out a whine and sat down on the couch in her dressing room. "I look like a whore."

"Holy shit. Yeah you do." Ally looked over quickly to see her photographer standing in the doorway looking at her as though she was going to give him a $5 blow job.

"Hi. Were you raised in a barn? Who the hell told you that you could talk to a woman like that?" Trish immediately jumped to my defense, lowering her cell phone and rising to her full, empowering, 5'1" stature. _That's right, Trish. Sic 'em!_

"Woah hey." The blonde throws up his arms in surrender, "I was just agreeing with Alyson. Why are you wearing that?"

Ally randomly felt herself burst in disbelief, "It's what _your _people put me in!"

"Well let's fix that." Austin responded. She couldn't help but to stare at him with wide eyes as he walked towards the hanging wardrobe rack and began to comb through the lingerie, "Let's see. The theme is boudoir, right? Is that because this is some sexy vampire show or…?"

She chuckled and combed her fingers through her recently been curled hair. "Yeah, you pretty much nailed it."

"The station specifically picked out these clothes." Trish throws out walking over to Ally like a protective pitbull.

"Well then the station should take their own damn pictures." Austin responded just as snidely, causing Trish to pull her shoulders back in shock at having been talked back to for the first time since probably 3rd grade, "Alyson, 34B? Size 2 bottoms?"

She sputtered at the fact that he could guess her measurements strictly through sight. _He's probably had a lot of practice. _"Yes."

He pulled something out of the rack and handed it to her, "What about this?"

She walked over to him, expertly in those heels if she does say so herself, and took the clothing from his hands, "This looks great. Now get out."

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Austin was setting up the camera specific for this shoot when he saw her walking towards him. Rarely one to lose his composure over a hot woman, he damn near shattered his lense upon getting his first glance at her. Sex.

Pure. Fucking. Sex.

Again starting from the bottom, he marveled at the way she walked with ease as though the heels were an extension of her body. Traveling higher he caught a glimpse of the high waisted black boyshorts he had picked out for her. Set in satin, they accentuated the curves that he knew she was hiding under the baggy t-shirt. The bra hugged her perfectly and gave her cleavage that he could probably dive into if he wanted. _Wipe your fucking drool, you creep._

She snapped her fingers in his to get his attention before pointing to her own eyes, "Up here."

He chastised himself for blatantly objectifying her before mumbling an apology and guiding her over to the couch. "Sit down here."

She did as was told and sat perched on the edge with her legs crossed demurely at the ankle and the sheer robe wrapped tight across her torso. He could see her discomfort but wasn't too concerned because…well this was his job. And he was damn good at it.

"Where'd everyone go?" she asked glancing around the studio that was seemingly empty besides the two of them, even Trish and Dez nowhere to be seen.

He adjusted his lense focusing in on her before snapping a shot. "I told them to leave. I figured it would help you be more comfortable. I'm going to take a few warm up shots, if that's cool."

She visible relaxed as her shoulders slightly drooped, letting her robe fall apart just a touch, "Yeah, of course. Thank you."

He shrugged and sent her a disarming smile, "No problem at all. So tell me about this TV show."

She perked up when she heard his question, exciting to talk about something dear to her heart. She had been trying to break into Hollywood for a few years now. After battling a mad case of stage fright as a child, she found that acting was a good release for her. Usually timid and shy, acting allowed her to take on roles she never would in real life. Such as her current one. "Well you were correct about it being a sexy vampire show. I play the main female character who is caught up in a love triangle with two 500 year old brothers."

"Sounds scandalous. You whore."

She laughed upon hearing the teasing tone of his voice. A full, rich, laugh with her head slightly falling back and her eyes sparkling with mirth.

Click.

"And what about you, Mr. Photographer? Is this what you've always wanted to do?" She rested her elbow on her knee, leaning towards him, and unknowingly showing an ample amount of cleavage.

Click.

"Not by a long shot. I thought I'd be a musician but then it just never worked out for me. A competitive field that one is. Not to say that photography and acting aren't too. Music was just…too vulnerable for me, I guess. In photography I can say what I want to say while still being able to hide behind the camera. No one has to know that I'm the one saying it." He crouched in front of her to shoot from another angle, "Can you take the robe off for me?"

The look on her face was that of surprise and curiosity. She had gotten more out of him in that one paragraph than a careers worth of interviews and word of mouth gossip ever could. He didn't know why he felt comfortable with her but he did. He kept the camera in front of his face as she slowly dragged the robe off her shoulders so that she wouldn't see the lust in his eyes.

Click.

She felt bad giving nothing back after he had exposed himself to her so she continued the conversation, "I understand. I love music. But I myself am not very interesting so I count on acting to give me personalities that are fun and relatable. Not boring and predictable." Her eyes dropped as her fingers danced with each other in her lap.

Click.

He lowered the camera, scooting over to her and lifting her chin. Pulling her eyes up to his, he said with confidence, "I think you're interesting."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all for reviewing it means so so much to me. I think that this chapter I want to try to develop a deeper storyline so I'm going to try to make it a little longer. Love you all!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally or the Vamps. **

"You don't even know me." The brunette responded, loosely grasping the wrist of the tanned hand still under her chin. Maintaining eye contact, she placed his palm back on his camera implying that he should continue to shoot.

Austin shrugged and found himself moving her legs up next to her body so that she was lounging along the full length of the couch. _Those legs are like silk. Would it be weird if I cut them off and took them home?_

_Dude, you sounded like a serial killer just then. Stop._

Shaking his head to get out of his own thoughts, he stood up and took a step back, taking in the long plane of her body. How could someone so short even seem so tall? "Lean your forearm on the arm there. I think I know enough about you to think you're interesting."

As her perfectly shaped eyebrow quirked up, he was in awe at how perfect of a shot he had. The sun was setting through the windows across the studio and sent her already beautiful skin into an ethereal glow. She looked like a fallen angel. From the smoke laced eyes, to the deep crimson of her lips, and the absolute sinfulness of her outfit.

Click.

"And pray tell what it is that you think you know about me, Moon." Her eyes ignited as she said this, taking him aback. As though she knew that everything he could even think about her would be wrong.

"Apart from what you just told me? You're a wallflower. You hide behind baggy and dull clothes even though you are stunning and have a killer body. You're overtly cautious and think you have this image of who I am. That I'm some playboy, lost soul, photographer who can't be tamed. And you've already decided that you wouldn't give me the time of day even if I fell head over heels in love with you, Alyson."

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

"Well, I'll be damned." She whispered with an air of disbelief.

_Yep, _he spoke in his head, _I nailed it. _

"You're even more oblivious than I originally thought."

_Wait. Pause the movie. Huh?_

He dropped the camera and she laughed openly at his expression, "No actress is a true wallflower. I rather enjoy getting attention. I only wear baggy and dull clothes to photo shoots because it's easy to change in and out of and I want to come in without the stylists already having a preconceived notion of what it is that I 'like' or what 'fits my style'. In reality I love floral dresses, and bright colored skinny jeans. I do have an image of who you are but I don't think you can't be tamed. Everyone can be tamed. It just takes the right ring leader."

Well. Looks like she finally got comfortable.

"And stop calling me Alyson. I hate it. Call me Ally."

Austin and Ally, huh? He could get used to the sound of that.

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It'd been two weeks since they wrapped that shoot. Two weeks that Ally Dawson had been working herself into his head like a brain-eating amoeba. The pictures had turned out great and the magazine was head over heels for them. But then again, so was he.

They were some of the best shots he'd ever taken. They were mostly candid so they made her look as warm and inviting as an apple pie.

Damn, he was hungry.

He hadn't been with any women since the day of that photo shoot. He kept telling himself that it wasn't because of her. He was just busy. They'd barely even talked, for Christ's sake. After she corrected his arduous, yet severely incorrect, break down of her, they'd finished the shoot with little more than small talk. So why was he so caught up on her.

It was late and he was the only one in his studio as rain was pounding against the window of his office. He opened his mini fridge to see if anything was palpable enough for him to eat. He was starving. About to die from malnourishment. He could feel his stomach emaciating.

Okay, it had only been three hours since his last meal but hey, a guy's gotta eat.

He reached his hand toward the back where he found a Hot Pocket that had been there for who knows how long. Giving it a quick sniff he declared it acceptable and went to pop it in the microwave.

_Two minutes and thirty seconds until euphoria. _

He glanced over at his MacBook not really in the mood to edit any photos just yet. _What else can I do?_

Glancing around the room he laid eyes on the Gibson guitar he'd had since he was 14. It was passed down from his grandpa, who was the only person that truly understood Austin's love for music. He hadn't played the thing in a few months and felt an itch in his fingertips.

_Bingo._

He picked up the instrument and automatically felt at ease when the smooth wood rested against his palm. He let his fingers graze the cool metal of the strings before strumming out a few chords to get reacquainted with his true love.

Hearing a pattern in his strums, he latched on to a song that he'd heard recently on the radio. He couldn't recall the band or the name, but it seemed fitting in this moment.

"_I used to run around, I didn't want to settle down. _

_But now I wake each day, looking for a way that I can see your face._

_I got your photograph, but baby I need more than that…."_

"I need to know your lips, nothing ever mattered to me more than this."

He looked up quickly when he heard the soft voice pick up where he had left off. Standing in his doorway, was the woman constantly occupying his thoughts. Her hair was drenched and the deep sapphire blue raincoat had a plethora of water droplets seemingly racing to land on his office floor.

He couldn't find it in himself to care.

Her black sheer tights were tucked into a pair of stiletto ankle height boots, and although the trench coat was too long to see what was underneath it he assumed she was clad in a dress.

"Ally? What are you doing here?" He walked over to open one of the cabinets on his back wall and pulled out a fresh towel, quickly handing it to her.

She began to wring out her hair before pulling off her coat to reveal that she was in fact wearing a black body shaping dress with hints of blue lace undertone. _Classy. _

"I was at an interview and couldn't find a taxi so I just started walking. Then the electricity went out down the street and I had a slight panic attack before realizing that I was close to your studio. I was hoping you'd be here. Can I hang out while I call a taxi? And do you always have fresh towels here?"

He laughed as the last part of that spiel seemed a little ADD. He gestured to the loveseat, "Be my guest. And yes. Since I spend most of my time either here or the gym, I tend to keep towels here. There's a shower down the hall too."

She gave him a case of side eye as she began dialing for a cab, "Was that a subtle brag about your workout habits?"

He smirked and stretched his arms above his head knowing that his shirt would ride up exposing the V cut on his lower stomach, "Whaaaaat?" he said with feigned innocence.

_Hot damn, _Ally found herself thinking after stealthily averting her eyes, _no wonder he gets so many girls to fall into bed with him. _

He glanced around the room pretending not to notice the slight blush rising up her neck. "I wonder why the electricity hasn't gone out here-Well fuck."

Just as he was finishing his sentence, everything went black.

"Austin?" he heard her whisper trying to use her phone light to see where he was.

"Why are you whispering?"

"Because it's dark."

"No monsters are going to hear you, Ally."

She heard an "Oomph" from him as she launched a throw pillow from the loveseat she was on. _Ha. Connected. _

"That wasn't very nice." Austin chastised her as he began to light the candles on his windowsill.

She scoffed at the romantic ambiance in the room, "Do you do this for all your damsels in distress?"

He looked back at her, "Is that jealousy I hear, Ms. Dawson? Don't worry, you're my true Bae."

_Where had this banter come from? _She found herself confused at how playful she could be with this guy that she hardly knew. She hadn't even known why she came up here. She could've just as easily called Trish or Dallas. Although, God knows that Dallas probably would've taken that as a declaration of love. Ever since their third date when Ally had decided that it wasn't working for her, he had been on her case relentlessly about a "second chance". No thank you.

"Don't say that word." She scrunched up her face, "I don't get the concept. Is it an abbreviation for 'babe'? If so, then why? Babe is already one syllable? How can you possibly shorten-"

"It means Before Anyone Else." He cut her off, picking up his guitar and coming to sit beside her. He slouched down and let his head fall back on the couch, closing his eyes, and strumming a relaxing melody.

She took this time to really study the photographer, as she tucked her legs under her body and angled herself towards him. He truly was a gorgeous man. She noted that he seemed to have a usual style as her eyes ran over his faded jeans and black v-neck shirt. She could see a bit of shadow growing in around his chin, as though he hadn't had the opportunity to shave this morning. Letting her gaze continue to assess him, she noticed the wide set of his lips and the adorable cleft in his chin. She wanted to run her tongue over that cleft…

_Woah. Where the hell had that come from?!_

Between the candles, the soft lilt of the guitar, and the ball of attractiveness next to her, her lady parts had started to do something funny. That needed to stop, like now.

"How long have you been playing?" She leaned her elbow on the back of the couch, resting her head on her fist, facing him fully now.

He continued to strum without opening his eyes, "Since I was 8. My grandpa taught me. This was his guitar. And let me tell you, he sure knew how to shred it."

She hummed softly in agreement, "I imagine it wouldn't be hard with a Gibson 1960 Hummingbird as your instrument." She held back a laugh at his look of disbelief, "My father owns a music store in the mall called Sonic Boom. I used to work there when I was a teenager. May I?"

He nodded handing her the guitar. He already trusted her implicitly. Not even Dez was allowed to touch it. But he figured she knew it's worth and wouldn't be stupid enough to tarnish it in any way. Dez on the other hand…

"_Look at me now, I'm falling._

_Can't even talk, still stuttering._

_This ground of mine keeps shaking, Oh"_

She had begun playing a beautifully haunting version of the song he was singing earlier. And his heart was palpitating.

"_All I wanna be all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, is somebody to you."_

She had made eye contact with him and smiled giving him a slight nod as if implying for him to join.

"_All I wanna be all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, is somebody to you."_

They harmonized this together and she switched into the higher melody without a hitch.

"_Everybody's tryna be a billionaire but every time I look at you I just don't care, because all I wanna be, all I ever wanna be, yeah yeah, is somebody to you."_

She stopped playing and gave him another smile before softly saying, "Yeah, you."

And his heart was in some serious trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You guys are the bomb. Seriously. Thank you for getting me up to 25 reviews. I'm trying to make the chapters longer to give you a little more to work with between chapters. Especially since I may not be able to write this weekend.**

**A very special shout out to Bolero who now owes me a billion dollars and oh-tangled who has promised me a review on every chapter. You guys made my day!**

**I GOT A POLYVORE FOR CLOTHES YAY:**

** .com**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally.**

"Ally….you're really good." He turned his body to mirror her earlier position so that he was fully facing her profile.

She let a little hmph, continuing to pick at the strings, "Music is like home to me. My dad taught me everything I know so it's just comforting. It's like an old friend. You know the one that no matter how long you go without seeing each other, you can easily slip right back into the old times. I never pursued it as a career because I don't want to tarnish the feelings that I have for it. I still have a songbook that I write down ideas in though."

He nodded in shock that someone finally understood the way he felt about music, "Yeah. I get that."

She set the guitar down on the floor and crossed her arms over her chest glancing over at him, "And what about you? I heard you playing when I came in. You are phenomenal. You could totally make a name for yourself as a musician."

"It's too vulnerable. I wouldn't feel comfortable singing songs that I didn't have a say in, but I also wouldn't want the world to know what I'm feeling. So that's that."

She laughed at the finality of his statement, "That's that, indeed. Gosh. I'm starving. Do you have any food?"

She looked around the room like a hawk searching its prey, scanning over anything that could potentially hold the nourishment that her grumbling stomach longed for.

"Actually," he rose authoritatively, gliding with a bit of swagger towards the microwave in the corner.

"Ma cher, mademoiselle," he drawled in what might actually have been the worst French accent that she had ever heard, grabbing the handle of the microwave door, and placing his free hand across his stomach like a butler introducing a guest for a dinner party. "It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. And now we invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair, as the dining room proudly presents…." He yanked open the microwave door, bending at the waist and dramatically flourishing his free hand, "Your dinner."

She could hardly contain her laughter at his impersonation of Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast, "Oh my God!" she heaved out between breaths, "That was the worst thing I've ever seen in my life! And what is that even?! A Hot Pocket? Gross!"

He glared at her trying not to notice how insanely gorgeous she was when she let out those full laughs. "This is a fine piece of culinary art!" Pulling the entrée out of the microwave he hid the gag that escaped his throat. Maybe it wasn't edible, after all.

Walking back over to the actress, he held out the disgusting, dripping mess, "Try the gray stuff, it's delicious?"

She noted that the infliction in his voice clearly stated that he was, in fact, wondering how delicious the gray stuff could possible be. And trust her when she stated that it was literally _gray._ "Um. I'll pass. I'm not sure what kind of Hot Pocket has gray ingredients but I'm sure it's the kind that probably shouldn't be consumed by humans."

He shrugged, plopping down beside her and taking a proper bite out of the thing. She gagged in reflex waiting in breathless anticipation for his reaction. Her jaw dropped when he continued to chow down as though it was the promised milk and honey from the days of Moses. Before she even had the opportunity to make a snide remark, her phone pinged with a message.

"Dude. Is that the fucking Kim Possible Kimmunicator sound?!" the blonde sputtered in admiration through a mouth full of food.

She smirked arrogantly, "Why yes, dude. Yes, it is." Her hand reached deep into the cushion of the slate gray couch where here phone had seemingly fallen sometime during the thirty minutes since she'd arrived. During her search, her fingers brushed against the cool surface of a coin, the questionable surface of what seemed to be a French fry, and the very identifiable surface of a lace undergarment. _Gross. _

Finally connecting with the smooth finish of her iPhone, she wrapped her hand around it and pulled. _Shit. I forgot to call a cab. _

That thought was soon forgotten when she read the message alert and saw who the text was from.

_Fuck, fuck, and doubly fuck._

Thoroughly enjoying the best meal he'd had all week, Austin didn't miss the way her shoulders sagged and the quick breath that left her perfect lips as she read the screen. "Who is it? Stalker? Crazed fan? Paparazzo? Your manager?'

She laughed at the last suggestion. During the photoshoot she had accidentally let slip to the photographer how Trish, while a great businesswoman, was sometimes difficult to work with. "Not that it's any of your business but none of the above. It's Dallas Centineo."

"Ooh, you're sexy, angsty vampire lover?" He ignored the knot in his stomach that felt a hell of a lot like jealousy.

"That'd be the one." She bit her lip when she read the text and Austin didn't think about how that was one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen. Nope. He didn't think that at all.

"Boyfriend?" He feigned nonchalance, slipping the last piece of his dinner into his mouth.

She looked up at him after typing out a quick response, scrutinizing the look in his eyes. For a moment she thought she saw something akin to possessiveness flash across the whiskey colored orbs. "Something like that. He's on his way to get me, so I should probably head down."

They both sat where they were, as though she hadn't just said she needed to leave. Neither knew that they both were struggling with the thought of letting the other go, to be seen again God knows when. When she finally did move, it was to gently grab his hand in her own.

"Thank you. For letting me come up and keeping me company." _It's just a hand. Nothing great about it, Ally. Nothing special at all about these perfectly calloused hands that could work wonders on your body. _She let go with a smile, standing up and reaching for the raincoat that she had earlier discarded.

Austin was still hung up on trying to figure out what "something like that" meant in terms of her relationship to Dallas. "Yeah, anytime. You helped me procrastinate a little longer on some negatives I have to turn in tomorrow so for that you have my eternal gratitude." He stood up with her and together they started walking towards the studio elevator that would take her to the ground level of the building. "You don't have to rush off, you know. You can stay until he gets here."

Reaching the exit, they faced each other. He felt completely vulnerable as her eyes scanned his face. In response, he let himself drink in the sight of her like an oasis in the desert. There was something about this girl that made him want to know more. Her secrets and desires. What made her tick. What she tasted like. He was comfortable around her in a way that he shouldn't have been after spending a combined total of four hours with her.

She was having the same thoughts about the blonde but in contrast to him, she wanted nothing to do with whatever feelings seemed to be developing. He seemed damn near perfect on the outside. They had just shared an impromptu jam session for Christ's sake. But she still knew of his rep and was having none of it. She broke the staring contest they were having to look down at the floor, clearing her throat, "Nah, it's okay. Dallas should be here soon anyway." As if it had been rehearsed, her phone went off at that exact moment, "See? I'll see ya, Austin."

He let out a wave as the elevator door slid closed on who was quickly becoming his favorite model.

"See ya, Als."

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Austin climbed out of the back of the Rolls Royce his driver had chosen for the evening and stepped out onto the red carpet of the People's Choice Awards. Although he wasn't a celebrity in the typical sense of the word, ever since Annie Leibovitz had taken him under her wing as her prodigy three years ago he had basically become a household name. Not to mention the fact that he was seen often in tabloids with different actresses and models. Therefore, he was invited to most awards shows.

And boy, did he hate them.

Don't get him wrong. He was very grateful for his life and the opportunities granted to him through his work. And he loved getting to see old friends and people he had shot in the past. But the shows were so long and boring. Plus, the lack of food and alcohol was really a downer. Although the Golden Globes, he could get behind that. He loved himself some Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. He'd be looking forward to that riot all year.

Straightening the lapels on his all black form fitted suit with a rich purple skinny tie, he started his journey towards the many fans and reporters. He posed for pictures and signed as many autographs as he could before he was drawn away to do some red carpet interviews. Even though he was known for being a player, he loved his fans and would do anything to make sure he never got the diva reputation.

What? It could totally happen to guys too.

What he didn't expect when he looked a few yards ahead, was to see one Alyson Dawson looking positively ravishing in a black and pink cocktail gown. Her chocolate colored locks cascaded in smooth curls down her back and was intricately braided on the upper half. He tried to draw his eyes away from her long enough to answer whatever question he was currently being asked but ultimately cut the interviewer off before making a bigger fool of himself, "Excuse me. I'm so sorry to interrupt. I have a friend over there who I haven't seen in a while but I'd be more than happy to finish this interview with you in a moment." He gave a charming smile as the interviewer nodded in understanding.

Shoving his hands into his pockets he began in her direction, nearly stumbling in his steps when he noticed the two men flanking her sides. Dallas Centineo and Elliot Samson. Her co-stars on the vampire show. Since he had last seen her a few months ago, the show had premiered and really taken off. He hadn't heard from her since the storm but then again, he also hadn't tried to contact her. He knew communication was a two way street and held no resentment. He just figured the blooming actress had a lot going on in her life and didn't want to distract her from her duties. It had nothing to do with his unwanted/unwarranted feelings for her. Or the fact that he had no idea what was going on with her and Dallas. Needless to say, he had already gone back to his one gal a week usual. A guy had needs. So what if he had frequented brunettes lately? Again, it had nothing to do with her.

Finally reaching his destination, he stood behind her and leaned into the space between her and Elliot. Getting a strong hint of the lavender scent of her hair, he leaned forward speaking lowly in her ear, "Fancy seeing you here."

She tensed up for a millisecond when she heard the words. Even having never heard him speak in that tone (which was dripping sex), she knew exactly who it was. The man who had unexpectedly wormed his way into her daily thoughts the past few months. Her photographer. _Her _photographer. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about him since the night the electricity went out. Sure, she'd been insanely busy with this instant celebrity stuff, but her mind still always found time for him.

Remembering that she and her costars were still being asked questions by Entertainment Tonight, she let out a genuine grin when she turned around to greet him, "Hey, Austin! How are you?!" She circled her arms loosely around him in a hug.

She did not expect him to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her lower body flush against his. Nor did she expect the butterfly farm that immediately sprung up in her stomach at his actions. As she reveled in this, she finally got a look at his outfit for the event.

And hot damn, did this boy know how to wear a suit.

He smirked knowingly and released her but kept an arm draped loosely around her waist, injecting himself between her and Dallas. His bad.

"Nancy, this is Austin Moon!" Ally gestured towards the man and smiled at him, glancing quickly at his lips before back to the reporter in front of her. "Austin did my first major photo shoot."

Nancy gave a familiar smile to the photographer, "Nice to see you again, Austin."

"Nancy." He nodded in admiration. And his eyes glinted with something else that Ally _so_ did not even want to think about. Wasn't this woman married?!

"I saw those photos in GQ. They turned out great. Austin, as all of you at home know is very gifted in photography and Ally the camera absolutely adores you. Will we be seeing you in any spreads with these two hotties anytime soon?" Nancy gestured to her two costars.

Elliot chuckled, "Aw you're too sweet, Nancy. We did just do a shoot that was a little risqué, " he looked between his other two stars who nodded and Austin who was laughing, "but we're in the middle of filming the back half of the first season right now so I think it may be a while before we do anything else big."

"Yeah, it was really fun though." Dallas added, "These two are a blast to work with and our chemistry is just really on point. I couldn't be luckier to work with an amazing cast."

"Well the show is great! Have you had a chance to catch it yet, Austin?" Nancy was doing a great job of incorporating all four of them into the interview even though Austin had nothing to do with the show.

"Yes and I love it. I'm not usually one for the sci-fi genre but my TiVo is always set on this one. Plus, I would never pass up a chance to watch this beauty on my screen for an hour." He squeezed the hip that he was still holding onto and tilted his head down towards the brunette, forcing a giggle out of her and feeling Dallas stiffen beside him. His bad again.

"Well I see Ally's manager is over there gesturing that you guys need to get going but it was a pleasure talking to all _four _of you and I can't wait to get to do it again. You guys have fun tonight!" the host says turning back to the camera with a wave to the stars.

"Thanks, Nancy!" They responded in unison.

As they continued walking down the red carpet towards the venue, Austin separated from the group to continue interviews and say hi to some other friends. Ally was slightly bummed that she hadn't had a chance to really talk to him but understood that awards shows often left little time for socializing with people other than your cast mates. Maybe she would see him at an after party. I mean, not that she wanted to or anything. Just maybe.

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The show had been going for about 30 minutes and she was already so bored. She had been told that the PCA's were one of the more exciting awards shows because of the fans interactions and the musical performances, and while she certainly couldn't argue with that, she was getting tired of the copy and paste intros for all the presenters and categories. She nearly let out a cry of relief when she felt her phone vibrate in her clutch, though she had no idea of who it could be because everyone who ever texted her was in her immediate vicinity. Well, except for her dad. It was probably him.

She furrowed her eyebrows when she didn't recognize the number. Unlocking her phone, the confusion only increased.

_**So are you missing your anonymity, yet? –A. M.**_

She tried her hardest to figure out who it could possibly be but came up short.

_Is that a creepy way of telling me that I no longer have any? Are you stalking me? If you're that Scream guy, no I don't like scary movies. –Ally_

_**How about Disney movies? Beauty and the Beast, perhaps? –A.M.**_

Austin! Duh. A.M. Come on, Ally. How much dumber can you get?

_Well, I have always been partial to Be Our Guest ;) but in response to your earlier question, it's not so bad being recognized. I do miss free time though. How'd you get my number btw? –Ally_

She looked up to see that they were on "commercial break" so nothing was happening on stage. Dallas however was giving her a sharp look out of the corner of his eye, "Who is that, Allyson?"

Before she could respond her phone vibrated again. Sorry, Dallas. Priorities.

_**Dez had it in the business log from your shoot. I made him send it to me. This show is making me want to slowly pick my brains out so I figured I'd bug you instead. Free time, huh? I've been wondering why you haven't shown up sopping wet on my doorstep lately? Why does Dallas look like he's about to give birth? –A.M.**_

After reading the text she tried to look around the large auditorium to see where he was that he could so easily see Dallas and presumably her when her phone vibrated again.

_**You'll never find me. Muahahaha! –A.M.**_

She rolled her eyes and bit her lip to hold in a laugh. "Allyson?" She heard again from the man next to her. Looking up she noted that his face was in fact scrunched up in what was either curiosity or constipation. It really could've gone either way. She sighed,

"Ally, Dallas. You know I hate Allyson. And it's Austin." She quickly typed out a response.

_Yeah, I was just thinking that I was getting a little bored with this. Maybe we should blow this joint and leave showbiz forever, huh? And I've been working on that whole 'try not to get caught hopelessly in the rain' thing. Sorry to disappoint. –Ally_

She sent another one not a second later.

_Totally just joking about quitting showbiz by the way. My wardrobe couldn't handle me taking a pay cut. Sorry, stud. –Ally_

Stud? When did she start calling people stud. Gosh, she was so embarrassing. As she began typing another message to fix her blunder, she saw a tan hand move to cover the screen of her phone. She lifted her gaze and noticed immediately the questioning look on Dallas' face.

"Ally, we need to talk."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well it's five in the morning and my brain is running rampant with ideas so…let's start the next chapter, shall we? **

**I GOT A POLYVORE FOR AUSTIN AND ALLY'S CLOTHES YAY:**

** .com**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally.**

"Whozit?" Ally mumbled into the phone pretty much still sleeping.

Last night had been relatively eventful to say the least. Right after Dallas had propositioned her to talk, the awards show had presumed, cutting off any chance she had to get the damn conversation out of the way. Never one to be deterred though, Dallas had followed her like a fucking lost puppy at the after-party until she agreed to finally hear him out. And by hear him out, she meant listen to him whine for two hours about how he didn't appreciate her "friendship" (he literally used air quotes) with Austin and that he thought he "deserved another chance because he hadn't really known a lot about her yet when they had first started dating so it hindered his ability to woo her." She didn't hesitate to remind him that that was kind of the whole point of dating someone. Idiot.

She wasn't bitter.

She didn't even understand where this newfound jealousy of Austin had come from. She and the blonde hadn't seen each other in months. Suddenly she bumps into him at a celebrity event, they exchange a few texts, and he becomes public enemy #1? It's not like she spent fourteen hours a day on set with Dallas or anything. Plus after her colossally stupid move of calling Austin "stud" she hadn't heard from or seen him for the rest of the night.

She didn't even know why she was letting this whole situation get to her so much. Dallas had slipped from somewhat boyfriend, to friend, to ex, to scum of the earth. In like, five minutes.

Okay, it was definitely longer than that but you get the drift.

In conclusion, she hadn't gotten home until 4:30 this morning. And after taking off all of her make-up and changing, it was 5:00 before she even slid into bed. Now her phone had began to incessantly ring at 8:17.

And she was not happy about it. Until she heard the voice on the other end of the line.

"Good morning, grumpy gills." She let herself smile at the words. Even saying something so simple his voice sounded like a shot of the smoothest whiskey. She blamed her lack of sleep on her corny analogies, "You still asleep?"

The actress rolled over, taking the phone with her and letting it rest against her face as she threw her arms across the span of her bed. Her perfect, cozy, cloud like bed. Oh, the love she had for this pillow top mattress. She wanted nothing more to spend the rest of the day in its loving arms. Too far? Oh.

"Not anymore. Go away." Her voice had lost a little bit of its scratchiness and she heard his chuckle clearly on the other end, sending her heart into a chaotic frenzy. Why did this man have this effect on her? She barely knew him.

"You're no fun. What are you wearing?" He teased. She could practically see the gold flecks of his eyes gleaming as he said the words.

"Just my smile."

She thought she heard a stifled moan but she couldn't be sure. "I'm outside your door. Let me in."

Da fuck? At this she sat up quickly, looking around her room as though he was going to pop out of a closet or something. She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity before beginning the trek to the front door of her L.A. apartment. When she was halfway through her living room she wondered aloud, "How'd you know where I live?"

Not giving him time to respond on the phone, she unlocked her front door revealing the golden haired photographer looking as casually perfect as ever. She mentally face palmed for doing nothing about her grungy morning appearance before allowing him inside.

"I have my connections. You lied." He breezed by her holding a brown paper bag and two coffees, giving her the chance to take in his attire fully. He had switched it up from his normal New York garb, but since it was warmer here she supposed it made sense. She would be lying if she said that he didn't look like the frattiest of all the frat boys. But damn her if he didn't pull off the blue and white striped bro-tank and the red shorts. The Ray Ban aviators hanging off the chest line of his shirt made the man seem like he had just stepped out of the pages of a magazine. She briefly wondered why he was never the one _in front of _the cameras before she registered what he said.

"Is that coffee? You're my savior." She asked grabbing one of the cups and not caring what was in it. "And how did I lie?" God, coffee was like her crack. _Maybe I'll just start snorting lines of caffeine. _She laughed at her own joke.

He raised an eyebrow at her, not understanding why she was laughing as neither of them had said anything funny. "You're wearing more than your smile."

He had to admit he was the slightest bit disappointed in the fact that she didn't answer the door naked, but since he was trying this whole "friend" deal he figured it was probably for the best. Not that he was complaining about what she had on. At all.

She was drowning in an oversized vintage sweatshirt that ironically enough read, "the city that never sleeps". It fell to the top of her thighs where he could catch glimpses of pink underneath it every time she took a step.

"Ha! Even if I was naked, why would I answer the door like that Austin?" She inquired with eyebrows raised as she propped herself up on a barstool in her dining area and bit into the cream filled donut that she had somehow managed to get from the bag that was no longer in his hand. Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

He sighed, taking a seat beside her and getting his own donut and coffee, "Wishful thinking, I guess."

She let out one of her melodic laughs before the two fell into comfortable silence eating their breakfast. They stayed that way for about five minutes before something finally dawned on Ally.

"Hey! What are you even doing here?" She pulled one knee up to her chest, propping her heel on the seat of the barstool, and held her coffee between her palms like she was soaking in its warmth.

He internally groaned at the clear view this afforded him of her underwear, which were in fact, hot pink. Her cute little red painted toes wiggled while she waited for his response and he jerked his eyes away.

_Cute toes, Austin? What even…_

"I wanna go sight see!" He said like a kid who just found out Santa had come early.

She sputtered on the sip of coffee she just taken, "Uh…what?"

His eyes bore into hers, unblinkingly, "You heard me."

She nodded slowly like she was talking to an invalid, "Yeah, I heard you. But did you hear you?"

He gave her a deadpan look.

"Okay, okay. But why? Have you never been to L.A before?"

He shrugged biting into another donut. He had already eaten like four. She seriously didn't know how his abs were so defined. "I have. But you and I haven't hung out since that night the electricity went out and I think you're fun to be around. Unless…" his eyes widened as though something had just dawned on him, "unless you have plans today. Which is cool. I should've called first. I didn't mean to just intrude. I figured you'd want some breakfast. Cause everyone likes breakfast, right? I just-"

She placed a soothing hand on his forearm to stop his ramblings, "I'd love to hang out with you today, Austin. No, I don't have any other plans."

He clapped and his Christmas look was back, "Great! Go get dressed! Chop, chop. I have a lot I want to do!"

She rolled her eyes to the back of her head at his enthusiasm and couldn't help but to think that if she spent much more time with him her eyes would be permanently stuck up there. "I'm going, I'm going."

He watched her lithe figure as she walked towards her bedroom. Her hips swayed naturally in a manner of such pure temptation and he was willing to bet that she had no idea what it did to men. As she neared her door, she stretched her arms above her head holding her left wrist with her right hand, arching her back slightly. Her shirt rode up completely exposing her perfectly shaped ass in the hot pink cheeksters.

"Have you no modesty?" He called after her with mirth.

She looked back over her shoulder one last time, "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

And with that she shut her door.

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Austin was playing "Kim Kardashian Hollywood" on his phone when Ally came out no more than half an hour later. He was thoroughly impressed with how quickly she was ready. He was even more impressed when he saw what she was wearing.

Her back was turned to him as she was rifling through something on her kitchen island, which he took as an invitation to lasciviously _stare her down. _

Her multicolored shorts and lace cream crochet crop top left just enough to his imagination to trigger…well, his imagination. Her hair was thrown haphazardly over her shoulder in a simple braid, but she took his breath away all the same.

_Mine._

His eyes bugged out when that word flashed in his mind. What was he thinking? He hardly knew the girl. There was no way in hell he'd let go of his young, wild, and free lifestyle for just another hot body. Snap out of it, bro.

That didn't mean he couldn't have some fun with her though.

She was switching purses in the kitchen when she felt his hard body press tightly into her back. She wasn't expecting it so when he placed his large hands on her hips she jumped a bit. He was at least a full head taller than her and therefore had to lean down to nuzzle into her hair. As his fingers slowly splayed out over her stomach, she felt her mind temporarily short-wire. Her breath hitched and she found her hands fumbling over her lipstick.

_Get it together, Dawson. _

"You look great, Ally." His voice was back to the sex drip. She marveled at how, with each one of his palms on her hipbones, his long fingers nearly touched at her navel. She felt so small in his arms. So…safe. "And you smell even better."

She bit her bottom lip hard when he ran his nose along the sensitive nape of her neck. She knew what he was doing. And she could play to, damnit. She set aside the wanton feelings that he was stirring in her and channeled her inner vixen

He froze when her hands reached back to press him harder against her, his manhood gradually gaining steam as it was trapped between his hips and her lower back. Her head dropped back and he saw her eyelids slowly lower with a little sigh leaving her lips, "All for you, baby."

He melted. Wicked Witch of the West, on the floor in a puddle melted. His blood felt like it froze in his veins. He couldn't move. His heart clenched. He too easily found himself thinking how easy it would be to do this with her. To relationship with her. He wanted all of it. The marriage, the kids, the white picket-

"What do you think, I was born yesterday?" She laughed turning in his arms and giving him a playful shove away from her. "I'm not just one of your harlots you can turn to mush with your whispered promises, Moon. I need to be _wooed." _She took her time drawing out the o's in that last word.

He quickly regained himself blaming his cheesy thoughts on a temporary bout of insanity. He placed both hands on the counter on either side of her, successfully trapping her against the island. Both of their eyes gleamed playfully at each other and their mouths were less than two inches away. Their shared breaths were labored but both chose to ignore that fact.

"And that's what makes you so special, Ally Cat." He booped her nose and pulled away before he could do something stupid like kiss her and ruin what was sure to be an extremely interesting friendship before it had even started.

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"Oh my God, you were being for real?" Ally drops her fork on her plate and let's out a boisterous laugh as she snags the drivers license from the blonde in front of her. She quickly sobers up and drops her voice to slightly above a whisper, leaning towards him across the table to ask genuinely, "Do your parents hate you?"

He snatches the ID back from the actress and scoffs at her. "Shut up. They thought I was going to be a girl."

She tries her hardest to quit laughing but couldn't bite back the last few chuckles, trying to shove a bite of pasta in her mouth to stifle her reaction.

He couldn't help but grin at her when her cheeks swelled with food giving her the appearance of a chipmunk. She'd picked a cozy café a couple streets down from Santa Monica Pier for lunch and they were eating on the patio outside. Since it was a Thursday in the middle of the day there were hardly any people around and he fucking loved it.

"What are you thinking, Austin Monica?" she bit her bottom lip to contain herself. She genuinely did want to know since he seemed to be off in a whole other world.

He shot her a glare before relaxing his features, "Just how different this is from New York. Don't get me wrong. I love the city. It's just so much chiller on this coast. Not as much rushing, or body barging. It's cool."

He was so fucking adorable. The way he tried to be all cool and badass but was actually a sweetheart. They had had a wonderful morning together thus far, hitting up a few shops before lunch. They had been chatting non-stop about their lives and were finally starting to feel like they knew each other on a level deeper than their natural chemistry. She was poised to respond, when her phone began ringing.

Smiling sheepishly at him and muttering a, "Sorry" she picked it up before checking the caller ID.

Big Mistake.

"Hey, Dallas." She bit the corner of her lip in apprehension at how Austin would respond to her being on the phone with her costar. She knew that he didn't know much about she and Dallas' relationship, but was astute enough to sense that something was off at the PCA's. And she also knew that she and Austin weren't on a date or anything so it wasn't like she was being a complete bitch. When all she saw was Austin tense up for a moment she relaxed slightly, hoping that would be all the attention he gave to the matter.

"Hey, Ally. You busy?" the voice on the other end of the line sounded weary. As though he had slept as poorly as she had.

"Um…yeah a little." She glanced at Austin who had just now taken a keen interest in his phone. Probably playing that stupid Kardashian game he had been telling her about earlier. Allegedly he had been trying desperately for two weeks now to become a C List star. Sounded riveting.

"Oh okay, no problem. I just wanted to talk to you about last night. But I can call back later?"

"No, no. What did you need to say, Dallas?" Taylor Swift lyrics quickly came to her mind as she thought _this is exhausting, we are never getting back together._

"Ah…okay. Yeah. I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry. I don't know what it is about you that brings out the possessive nature in me, Ally. It's just like….you're the perfect girl, you know? I know you don't take compliments well so just hear me out. You're kind, compassionate, smart, and so drop dead gorgeous. I really hate that I fucked up my chance of getting to share something special with you and its been gnawing at me. I was just so nervous on all our dates and I haven't been myself since. I just wanted you to know that I'm going to work on it. That's all. Tell Austin I said hi."

She opened and closed her mouth a few times like a fish out of water, "How'd you know I was with Austin?"

She could hear the smile in his voice, "Because I know you, Ally Dawson."

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After Austin had paid for lunch, they headed towards the beach avoiding the topic that was on both of their minds. Austin was the first to break.

"So was Dallas mad you were with me? What's his deal anyway? When I asked if he was your boyfriend a while ago you said _something like that, _remember?"

She glanced at him from behind her Ray Bans as they continued to leisurely walk in sync, "Yes, Austin. I remember. We went on a few dates and he started acting really weird. So I broke things off. When he picked me up at your place in New York we were both headed to the airport to come back here so that's the only reason I let him. Surprisingly, he was actually really cool about finding out I was with you just now. He was abnormally…normal. He told me to tell you hi for him."

Austin muttered under his breath, "Sure he did."

She looked at him in exasperation, linking her left arm through his and grabbing his bicep with her right hand. Mmm, his bicep. Were there tennis balls under his skin? God. _Focus, Ally._

"I think he was being genuine, Austin. But hey, it doesn't matter because today is Austin & Ally day!" She lightly slapped his arm a few times trying to bring back his enthusiasm.

He grinned his perfect smile and almost tripped over a volleyball that had come rolling out in front of him.

The actress laughed, bending over to pick the ball up and tossing it between her two hands, "Smooth, Casanova." She said with a wink towards him before tossing the ball up and serving it to the direction in which it came with perfect force and accuracy.

Austin looked at her in shock. "Close your mouth, you look like you're trying to catch fish." She lifted his jaw with her index finger. "You should really stop being so shocked by what I can do. It kind of hurts my feelings."

He could tell that she was joking so he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her tight against him. Her arms were smashed against his washboard abs and she had to drop her head all the way back to look at him. "I apologize for squandering your fragile vulnerability." He spoke with mock seriousness.

"Apology accepted." She rose onto her toes to kiss the cleft in his chin that she had noticed that second night they had spent together. They both pulled back in slight shock but before they had time to think about what the hell had just happened, the owner of the volleyball had run up to them.

"Hey. You two wanna play?"

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"You're going down, Dawson."

"Pack your bags, Moon. Cause I'm about to send you to school." she high fived herself laughing at her own joke.

They were facing each other on the court. The guy who had come up to them in little more than a speedo had explained that they had six people but needed two more to really play positions. Austin and Ally had both quickly agreed, their competitive natures getting the best of them.

When Austin had taken off his shirt, she understood that it was a distraction tactic. She knew that he saw her greedily raking her eyes over his eight pack and the v-cut in his hips. She chuckled to herself wondering if he also saw the other six flamboyant men on the court following her same gaze.

In order to make the game fair, Ally had stripped off her tank as well, leaving her only in her teal bandeau bra. According to Austin's facial features, the action had the desired effect.

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"Game point, bitches!" Ally did a pre-celebratory victory lap around her side of the court with both arms raised high in the air. Her team was beating Austin's 10-5 and they were playing to 11. Knowing it was her turn to serve; she got into position behind the taped line in the sand. She used her shorts to wipe the sweat off her hands before sending a power serve in Austin's direction, running to her position on the court immediately in its wake.

Surprisingly she didn't even need to get there because Austin had dove for, and missed, her serve.

"VICTORY!" Ally screamed sinking to her knees with her arms in the air. The other players on her team (all men, all in speedos) cheered and lifted her onto their shoulders, chanting her name. She laughed, looking over at Austin's team who were sticking out their tongues and muttering about how they got beat by a girl. Right as she was being set down, a guy in purple swim briefs approached Austin and began a conversation. While she couldn't hear what was being said, she knew the outcome would be fucking hilarious.

See, purple Speedo had already approached her at an earlier point in the game when all the players were taking water breaks. He had asked if she and Austin were an item. Knowing where this was going she innocently responded. "What, Austin and I? Oh no. I'm not exactly his type…if you know what I mean?"

She technically wasn't. She wasn't some bleach blonde, scantily clad, Jezebel who would throw her goodies at whoever came her way. That was Austin's type.

It wasn't her fault Purple Speedo thought that she meant Austin was gay. Nope. Not her fault at all.

When she saw Purple Speedo point towards her, she knew she was in trouble. Austin was giving her a look that said, "You're in for it now." She smiled nervously and waved.

She didn't have time! She didn't have any of the time. It was like she fucking blinked and there was this blonde ninja in front of her, hoisting her tiny frame over his shoulder and sprinting towards the ocean.

"Austin, No!" She screamed through her laughter, trying to pound on his back to get him to put her down, "What about my stuff?!"

"Don't worry, Als. Seth is going to watch it. You know Seth, right? Wearing a purple speedo? Somehow got the impression that I was swinging for the home team?" He stopped at the waters edge, swinging her around to hold her bridal style.

Her arms immediately wrapped around his neck and started lightly scratching his scalp behind his ear instinctively, "Whaaaaaat?" she said innocently and awkwardly.

Oh so awkwardly.

She knew it was coming. It was just a matter of wh-

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS COLD.

"HOLY SHIT THAT WAS COLD!" She yelled at him coming back up and desperately trying to crawl up his body to escape the cool lash of the waves.

"Oh come off it, Dawson." He swung her around so that her legs were wrapped loosely around his waist and his hands were again on her hips. He could see her poking through her bra but tried his hardest to keep his eyes above her neck, "It's not that bad."

She hummed in agreement until another wave hit her back. "I hate you."

"Says the one who led a gay man to pursue me."

She laughs letting her finger run down the middle of his chest, "Shouldn't have taken your shirt off in the middle of an all male volleyball game then, huh?"

He threw his hands up in defense, "How was I to know they were gay?!"

"Austin!" She sputtered scanning his face to see if he was being genuine. He was . "They're wearing Speedos! All of them. In every color of the rainbow. And we are in the middle of WEST HOLLYWOOD."

He shrugged as if it wasn't even that big of a deal, "Well at least he was cute."

She laughed at his observation, "You guys would have been very well matched on the attractiveness scale."

He stared at her blinking. Waiting.

She leaned in a little closer, conspiratorially whispering behind a smile, "But you're clearly the more attractive one."

He held her gaze, forgetting their banter for a moment. She took his breath away. Her braid had a few curls beginning to fall out and frame her face. Her skin had a glow somewhere between gold and red from the kiss the sun had been giving her for the past few hours. And her eyes. God, those eyes that he could get lost in. So many emotions swirling behind them. Anticipation, fear, desire, apprehension. He wanted them all.

Unbeknown to him both set of lips had begun to migrate towards each other. His hands slid up to her ribs, and hers framed his face. When they were inches away he saw something snap in her. And not the good kind.

She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, leaning her forehead against his and stroking her fingers against his jaw.

She pulled away and softly whispered, "We should get going."

**A/N 2: THIS IS MY FAVORITE CHAPTER GUYS. I feel like I'm really starting to find my voice with these versions of Austin & Ally, which is something I was really struggling with in the beginning. What do you guys think so far? Do you like these personalities?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well I've recently joined Twitter with the username kfizzlewizzle. I've talked to some awesome people about my fic so far and would love to hear what any of you guys have to say. Follow me and send me some ideas. I'd be more than happy to incorporate them! And check out my page for the outfits that our two stars are wearing throughout the story. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally**

It had again been a few weeks since their last encounter and he was getting pretty damn tired of never seeing his West Coast beauty. Sure they had been texting and exchanged the occasional phone calls (yeah, that's still a thing people did), but he essentially hadn't had any real contact with her due to both their schedules being slam packed. As he pulled up to the security checkpoint at ABC studios though, his chest felt an immediate release of pressure at knowing his predicament would soon be solved.

After parking his rental car in the Vampire Journals lot, he couldn't tame the hop in his step as he thought about Ally. The last time they'd hung out was when he had nearly kissed her. Which had honestly taken him by surprise because he still couldn't figure out his damn feelings for the girl. There was obviously chemistry between them and some killer sexual tension. But for the first time in as long as he could remember, he really cherished his friendship with a member of the opposite sex and didn't want to fuck it up by making their relationship physical.

Great, now his life was starting to sound like a Nicholas Sparks novel.

Man Card revoked.

He stealthily slipped onto the set where the TV show was currently in between takes. His eyes landed on her almost immediately but before he had time to even do a quick scan of her body, the producer of the show stepped directly into his line of vision.

"Austin! It's great to see you again." The man reached out his hand towards the younger photography.

Genuinely excited to see his old friend, Austin greeted him with a warm smile and clasped the offered hand tightly in his own, "Kevin! Thanks so much for letting me on set today. I'm a huge fan of the show. You're killing it, man."

Across the set, catching a flash of blonde out of the corner of her eye, Ally let her mind drift from the conversation she was having with Elliot about the trip that ABC was scheduling for them. _Is that…no, it can't be. Not here at least._

She missed him like crazy. It was amazing how spending one day with someone every few weeks could leave such a lasting impact, but ever since they had begun talking more frequently she'd found herself wanting to shirk her actual responsibilities to spend time with the man whom she had met by happenstance and sheer twist of fate. After getting to know him through late night calls and stolen texts, she had finally admitted to herself that she had feelings for him. But she would do her best to make sure he didn't find that out. He obviously knew of her physical attraction to him, just as she knew of his to her. But pulling actual feelings in made their relationship a whole new ballgame.

One that she was more than comfortable sitting out of.

When she heard the lilt of a familiar laugh in the same vicinity as the blonde mass, she decided to no longer even pretend that she was still listening to Elliot. She sharply glanced across the set to where her producer was having a conversation with Austin.

A conversation with Austin!

She started towards them with long strides leaving Elliot completely perplexed in the dark corner of the Salvatore home set. As she neared the duo, her mouth went dry at the sight of her affections.

Used to seeing him in casual clothes, she was taken aback by the very well tailored blazer that he wore over his finely pressed dark teal v-neck and ironed jeans. His shoes shone under the glare of the set lights as did the watch on his wrist that she easily identified as a Rolex.

She may have to sneak to wardrobe for a new pair of underwear. There was a strong likelihood that he had just ruined the ones she was wearing.

When she was no more than two yards away from her goal, she ran into a wall. Where did that come from?! Why was it pliant?! What sort of trickery-

Oh. It was just Dallas. Glancing around the olive skinned roadblock in front of her, she finally caught Austin's eye and shot him a smile that clearly said, "I'm excited to see you."

She was surprised to be met with grim features, and eyes that shifted back and forth between she and her costar.

Dallas had started talking to her and she didn't want to come off too bitchy so she dragged her eyes away from the blonde enigma and gave her undivided attention to the person in front of her.

"Ally! Great news! Remember how I told you that I was being looked at to direct some of those #TheAssignment videos in that webseries?" She nodded absently, still thinking about the glare Austin had given her. "Well I got it! I'll be directing the next two webisodes!"

At this she felt genuine excitement for her on screen lover. She knew that directing was something he put his true soul into and that he had only been swayed into the performance side because of his ruggedly good looks. Launching herself into a bear hug she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, burrowing into him as she squealed, "Dallas, I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it!"

He laughed leaning back a little so that her feet were fully off the ground before placing her back down. "Thanks, Al. I'm going to go talk to Kevin to make sure scheduling works out and what not."

At the mention of their producers name Ally looked back to where she had seen him last talking with Austin. Kevin was still there but the space where her one time photographer had stood was now empty.

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He had been ignoring her all day. Like blatantly rejecting her calls and deleting her texts, ignoring her.

She knew this for a fact because she had called Dez to see if he was receiving the same treatment.

He wasn't.

So this is why she found herself knocking on his door after they had finished shooting for the day. After waiting patiently for a whole three seconds she began to bang again. What? She had counted in Mississippi's so it was perfectly acceptable.

On her drive over she had told herself that she would be rational about this. Unfortunately, she was indeed rational enough to know that was a load of bullshit.

She wasn't sure at what point in the day it had dawned on her what the true reason behind Austin's sudden disappearance was, but once she did her blood had begun to boil. He had no right to get upset at her about talking to Dallas. They were cast-mates and friends. And she had every right in the world to hug him if she damn well wanted to!

Austin had no possessive claim on her and to ever act like he did was completely out of the scope of their friendship and afforded no validation. She continued to knock harder as the raging thoughts stormed through her head. What kind of misogynistic attitude was that anyway?! _Oh, sorry Austin didn't realize we were in the days of the caveman when it was perfectly acceptable to lay eyes on someone and claim them as your property. My sincerest apologies. _They weren't even a couple! If he thought he could just come into her life and stop every other man in the world from-

Wait. Who the fuck was this blonde bitch and why was she answering Austin's door?

Before I could open my mouth to ask where Austin was, he popped up behind her. Ally didn't fail to notice how his earlier wardrobe had been dwindled down to just his jeans. Oh, wait. She had found his shirt.

It was on the blonde.

Wordlessly, she set her mouth into a thin line and turned away from Austin's door.

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_**Ally. –A.M. (9:42 pm)**_

_**Ally cakes. –A.M. (9:47 pm)**_

_**Alyson Marie Dawson. –A.M. (9:58 pm)**_

She switched her phone to silent on her night stand, adjusting herself so that she was sitting Indian style on her bed, highlighting her newest script while streaming music from her Macbook which lay open next to her.

Sighing from the sweet reprieve of her phone finally shutting the hell up, the relief was short lived when her Mac cut the music off because she was receiving a FaceTime call. Figuring she'd have to get this over with sooner rather than later, she clicked accept and returned to her script. Not even looking up when the familiar sound bit told her that the call had connected, she bit out a sharp "What?"

Oh, she was mad. He could tell she was mad. Her brows were furrowed and the edges of her mouth were turned down as she appeared to be reading over something. Her hair was again thrown in a knot haphazardly atop her head and he assumed it was to keep the loose tendrils from hindering her visibility. She hadn't even looked up at him yet.

"Ally…" he waited for her to make some sort of implication that she had heard him. When she gave none, he sighed but continued to speak "It isn't what it looked like."

This got her attention. She let out a humorless chuckle, finally looking up at her computer screen to see a plethora of emotions in the dark eyes that were sitting comfortable in his loft across town.

"So," She closed the lid on her highlighter with exuberance, now using it as a stand in pointer for emphasis, "it wasn't you getting unreasonably angry for me giving the slightest bit of attention to my costar instead of running straight into your arms, then being a ridiculous hypocrite by ignoring me all day so that _you _could then shower an inordinately _more _amount of attention onto one of your most recent conquests?"

Well. He took a moment to wrap his head around what exactly she had said. It was like, a really long run on sentence. He figured now was probably not the most opportune time to correct her though.

"Ally, are you pissed because I had Cassidy over?"

She could have punched the smug look off his face. She seriously contemplated grabbing her keys and driving back over to his rented apartment just to punch that look off his damn face.

"No, you idiot. I know you well enough to know that you can barely keep it in your pants for five minutes. " Ouch, low blow. "I'm pissed because you stormed off my set like a petulant child all because I was talking to Dallas."

"It wasn't because you-"

"Austin," she warned through the screen, "don't lie to me."

She saw his screen move around a bit and heard his sigh as he adjusted his computer to lay down on his bed. "Dallas just gets under my skin."

She scoffed, "You've never even had a conversation with him." After a moment of silence she set her now forgotten script on her bedside table, following Austin's lead and laying back against her pillows. "You and I aren't dating, Austin."

He smirked at her tone. She sounded patronizing, as though he were too stupid to wrap his head around the nature of their friendship. "I know that, Allyson." He had responded in the same tone. Yeah, motherfuckers. He was witty too.

She rolled her eyes at his use of her birth name. "Ergo, you have no right to get jealous and possessive over me. I was on my way over to you when Dallas stopped me to share something big that was happening in his career. I couldn't just ignore him. And when I looked up you were gone. I was really looking forward to finally getting to _see _you again and you were just gone. And then!" her voice had calmed substantially before she had gotten to this last part, "then. I come over to try to talk to you about it and you were essentially doing the exact same thing you had gotten mad at me for. But like…a million times worse!"

She was so cute when she was angry. Her cheeks were beginning to flush and although she had just leaned back onto her bed, she had once again positioned herself to be sitting ramrod straight sometime throughout the length of her monologue.

She made a fair point. At the time that he called Cassidy to come over he didn't realize the double standard of his actions. He just needed something that would help him forget his feelings towards Ally for a bit.

"I'm sorry, Als. I was wrong. I get it and I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Friends?"

She could hear the raggedness of his voice and knew that the apology was sincere. Tired of having this discussion and even more tired of all the dimensions of her and Austin's relationship that it was forcing her to think about she agreed, "Of course, Austin. Friends."

The smile that overtook his face nearly caused her to go blind. He propped an arm behind his messy head of hair, "Great! What are you doing tomorrow since you don't film? I saw the schedule when I was on set earlier."

"Stalker." She laughed, turning to her side and bringing her laptop with her. She liked talking to him like this. It seemed very…intimate. "I'm going to Disneyland. Why were you on set anyway?"

"You're going to Disneyland?! Kevin is a close friend of my family so I pulled a few strings."

She laughed as she noticed that they were having two very different conversations at the same time. "Oh that's cool. Maybe one day you can stay long enough to actually watch me film a scene." She winked at him, already referencing their earlier dispute, "And yeah. Disney is hosting stars from Disney Channel and ABC Family for three days to promote the parks. It's a huge social media campaign called Disney Side. Something about showing people that everyone can enjoy Disney parks. I'm just over here like, 'Free trip to Disney? Okay!', you know?"

He laughed as her voice got higher with excitement as she talked about Disneyland. Then the envy set in.

He fucking loved Disneyland.

"Can I come with you?"

**AN 2: Not my best work but hey, its something right? But buckle up. Cause next chapter we're going to Disneyland. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: "DISNEY TIME! DISNEY TIME!" I chant furiously as I begin to write this chapter. Thank you all for your wonderful support and for getting me to sixty reviews! I especially love when you tell me your favorite part of the chapter. :D There will be another Disney chapter after this one! Any who, let's get on with the show shall we?**

**Twitter: kfizzlewizzle**

**And check out my bio page for the outfits that our two stars are wearing throughout the story posted on Polyvore. I'm especially proud of my Disney outfits. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally**

"Oh my gosh, Ally. You are seriously like the most adorable thing that has ever happened to the Disney Corporation."

The brunette actress laughed as she put on her earrings, locking eyes with Trish in the reflection of the mirror. She hadn't had the opportunity to see her manager much recently since she had started taking on more clients, but Ally was incredibly proud of her so it was worth it.

"Thanks. I think you may be biased though." She shot her friend a wink before taking one last look at herself in the mirror.

She was never one to be narcissistic or overly confident in her appearance, but even she had to admit that Trish had done a great job this time around. Earlier that morning at 5:45 the shorter Latina had let herself in to Ally's suite at the Polynesian Resort (Thank you, Disney Co.) lugging at least six garment bags over her shoulder. Taken aback and still half asleep, Ally calmly pointed out that she was only going to be here for three days. Trish had laughed.

"Ally, honey. You are an ABC family starlet. In signing on for that role, you gave up rights to be anything more than their little Barbie. And in true Barbie fashion, you'll be playing dress up the whole time you're here."

Ally couldn't complain. Once her manager had shown her the contents of the garment bags she'd practically drooled over the clothes. While the brunette was finally to the point in her career where she was making enough money to hire a stylist, she still trusted that task strictly to Trish. Aside from being her manager, the Latina was also her best friend and so knew more about Ally then anyone else.

And damn did that girl have style.

All of the actors that Disney had signed on for the event had been given somewhat of an itinerary a week earlier, documenting their events for the day along with a "Suggested style guide". She had immediately emailed it to Trish and then forgot about it. And as she took in her "Classic Disney" attire, she reaffirmed that she had made the right decision in letting the other woman take the reigns.

Her best friend had opted for a Minnie Mouse appearance (as did countless other actresses she was certain). Ally wore a pair of yellow kitten heels that she praised God for because she knew it would feel like walking on clouds in comparison to her usual red carpet shoes. Her legs were left bare save for a vintage red high-waist skirt that come to just above her navel and flowed loosely at the bottom, overlaid in white polka dots. An inch or two of midriff was revealed between the skirt and the simple black fitted crop top that had her shoulders slightly exposed a la Sandy's final scene in Grease.

In a high ponytail atop her head chestnut locks fell to the middle of her back, loosely curled at the ends. Finishing off the ensemble, of course, was a pair of mouse ears with a sequined red bow right in the middle.

As she clasped her diamond Mickey Mouse necklace around her neck, her red painted lips curved as she thought about one person who would surely love it.

"He's going to jizz his pants when he sees you."

Ally quickly turned around to look at the Latina sitting in an armchair, preoccupying herself with her phone, "Trish, that's disgusting!" She squeaked out moving towards her bed and pulling her iPhone out of its charger. Or was it technically pulling the charger out of her iPhone?

_Who even cares, Ally? Don't be weird. _

_Is it hot in here or is that just me? _

She sat on the edge of her bed, scrolling through Tweeter to check her mentions, "I don't even know who you're talking about anyway… Ah, shit!" Okay, the flying pillow had caught her off guard, "Was that really necessary?!"

"Don't play dumb with me, Ally Marie." Ally flinched as Trish had already grabbed another throw pillow and was ready to launch it. "I see your face when you talk about Austin or even hear the boys name. Talk to me."

Damnit. She knew that hiring her best friend as her manager would eventually come back to bite her in the ass.

Ally sighed angling herself towards the conversation, "What do you want me to tell? There's not much there honestly. You've seen the man. He's jaw-droppingly hot."

Trish shrugged, "Eh. He's alright."

Looking up from the frayed edges of the comforter Ally gave her manager a disbelieving look, "You call him Adonis behind his back, Trish!"

The Latina looked sheepish and nodded for Ally to continue.

"Nothing's happened or anything. He's just really easy to talk to. Our conversations are never dull. And even though we rarely see each other I could easily talk to him all day." She left out the fact that she pretty much does and began to play with the edges of her skirt, "He's so funny. No one makes me laugh like he does. And when he touches me I get chills."

Trish's eyebrows shot up.

"Not like that, you perv!" Ally rolled her eyes. "Like a guiding hand on my back, or his fingers brushing mine."

"Oh, Ally…you have feelings for Austin." The wide-eyed look of her manager was nearly comical.

"Duh, Trish. I already know that." She responded with a pointed look. "But I'm not going to do anything about it. He's a player."

"But maybe he can change. All it takes is the right girl."

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She hadn't seen him all morning. She was certain he had gotten the green light to be here, even though he wasn't signed to the company. Something about being a "big enough personality that anyone would beg for his presence at their event."

His words, not hers.

Like…he wasn't even technically a celebrity. But she digresses.

So far she had spent the day lodged between Elliot and Dallas during multiple fan appearances and autograph signings. Trish had broken off from the group earlier to meet up with another client. Currently they were wandering around the park followed by a camera crew, filming short segments on their favorite parts of Disneyland.

And man, she loved her job.

The two guys were told that neither of them could dress inspired by Mickey Mouse because of the love triangle in their show. The network wanted to make sure that they didn't give off the appearance that Ally had a more romantic relationship with one man over the other. She thought that may have been a bit overly assumptive but when she saw her male counterparts rocking Chip n' Dale t-shirts she couldn't help but to be thankful for the stupid rule. They looked freaking adorable.

She had a costar on each arm as they walked towards Space Mountain. After enduring the Matterhorn, and the Mad Tea Party, it was finally her turn to share her favorite ride with the cameramen.

"I can't believe your favorite ride is Space Mountain! I wish you could have told us before we went on those spinning teacups of death." Elliot complained with a smile and a wave towards one of the park goers. The park was essentially closed down for them today but for a few people who were lucky enough to either be an employee of the park or have a family member who was. So needless to say, there were still quite a few people.

"Hey!" Dallas halted mid-step which created a Domino Effect by holding Ally's arm back and therefore Elliot's. "Don't knock my ride. It's a CLASSIC."

Ally grinned and rolled her eyes, pulling both guys forward as she trudged on, "Come on, you babies. Look at that beautifully crafted, looming white space stat…ion."

The end of her sentence faded out because no more than twenty yards in front of her was the man that she had been pretending not to think about all day. And he looked way better than she'd ever even dreamed of.

He was wearing red fitted pants and a short sleeve button down that was jet black with a slight shimmer to it, almost as though it were made of Satin. On his feet were a pair of black leather high tops, and his hair had been perfectly coiffed in a way she couldn't even imagine possible. She thought that the whole rugged sex hair thing was his default and only setting. But honest to God, there he stood before her with his hair brushed back off of his face for the first time since she's known him. But the icing on the proverbial cake was his bright yellow bowtie.

He was Mickey Mouse.

_FUCKING MICKEY MOUSE. _

She didn't know what to do. He seemed to be mid-conversation with a guy who looked about his same age and she didn't want to interrupt. That thought was short lived though when Austin turned towards her and his eyes slowly raked from the heels of her shoes to the bow on her head. Although she was some distance away, she was still able to see his eyes darken, with what she wasn't sure.

Okay, so maybe she knew exactly what it was.

She wasn't sure what to do in this situation. Does she casually walk up to him and say hi? Should she just nod and continue towards her desired destination. He saved her racing mind from what was sure to end in embarrassment when he opened his arms with a huge grin.

He bit back a laugh as he saw her eyes light up when she pulled away from Dallas and Elliot to jog towards him. She looked _good._

So, so good.

Was it wrong that he was completely turned on by the human equivalent of one of his childhood memories?

If it was wrong then he didn't want to be right.

_Cliché much, Austin?_

He was pulled out of his thoughts when she launched herself into his arms and he easily caught her around the waist, leaving her legs dangling half a foot above the ground. When his fingertips felt the smooth skin of her back, he was immediately drawn back to the last time they were in this position. When they had almost kissed.

Keeping her arms around him and showing no signs of letting go, she pulled her head back from the crook of his neck and locked eyes with him.

"Hi." She whispered.

Her mouth was so close to his. He could smell the distinguishable scent of her red lipstick that must've been freshly applied, "Hi."

They just stood there for a moment, eyes boring into each other. He still held her off the ground but she didn't seem to mind.

"Ahem…"

Hearing the throat clearing behind them, Ally quickly released her arms, which Austin also took as a sign to let go although he really didn't want to. She turned away from him and he looked around her to see that it was Dallas who had pulled them out of their spell.

Of fucking course it was.

"Sorry, Al….Jim really wants us to get going on your segment. We have to be over in Cars Land at California Adventures in an hour and a half so…." He awkwardly pointed his thumb in a "Let's go" motion.

She had no idea where that greeting had come from. Sure, she had missed him since they last hung out but it wasn't like they were childhood buds who hadn't seen each other in twenty years. Her feelings of attachment towards him were racing far ahead of her brain and it was way alarming. Figuring she should let him get back to her conversation and figure out what the hell had just happened later, she glanced at him apologetically, "I'll see you later? I'll call you when I'm free and we can go do something. Maybe get some food? Or ride some rides? Because we are in Disneyland after all. Ha. Ha ha ha." Oh shit, this wasn't going well. Time to get out.

She walked away from him, catching up with Dallas and Elliot. When had she become an awkward 7h grader?! What was that laughter thing?! Oh gosh. He's never going to talk to her again.

She felt a hand on her back and nearly jumped out of her skin, because both Dallas and Elliot were walking ahead of her.

"You didn't think I came all this way to not spend most of my time with my other half, did you?" Ah, that smooth butter voice.

She didn't mention that the trip from L.A. to Anaheim was literally half an hour, "Your other half?" She turned to look at him as she spoke which came out to be a substantially bad idea because his mouth and her mouth were right in the mouth zones and…grrmph.

_ALYSON MARIE DAWSON, PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. _

He could tell he had flustered her and was doing his absolute best to bite back his laughter. He would be lying if he said he hadn't dressed to impress her today. And he knew that she had been wondering where he was earlier. And he liked that. A lot. He hadn't been avoiding her on purpose. He had been meeting with some higher ups about possibly switching from photography to filmography, which would have him based mostly in L.A.

He could use a change of scenery.

"You know. You're Minnie…I'm Mickey...two parts of a whole." And she was one hell of a Minnie. It was the first time he had seen her hair sleekly pulled back from her face and she was even more gorgeous than usual. The outfit really showed off all her best features.

So basically everything.

"Oh. Yeah. Great outfit by the way. A very hipster Mickey, you are." A very hot, hipster Mickey.

He does a quick spin and pops his collar continuing his walk beside her, "I like to stay fresh. So. Where are we going?"

Beginning to be more at ease now that her body was once again used to the sight of him, she linked their arms, "Space Mountain. Disney has all of us filming segments about our favorite parts of the park. Space Mountain is my all time favorite ride."

He'd said it before and he'd say it again. This woman was perfect. A guitar playing, Space Mountain loving Goddess. "That's my favorite ride too."

She wasn't surprised at all because everything about him was seemingly compatible with her. Well, except his free dick movement. _Gee, Ally! Vulgar, much?_ "You're more than welcome to ride it with us. I just figured you were in the middle of something when you were talking to that guy." She gestured behind them to the area they'd just left. _And the fact that I haven't heard from you all day. _She kept that thought to herself though.

"That was just an old friend from college who produces for Disney movies. Our conversation was pretty much done anyway so no worries." His megawatt smile was flashed towards her.

Up ahead he noticed that Dallas kept trying to sneakily glance back at them. _Hop off my nuts, Douchebag. _

Beside him Ally's phone had begun to ring. She smiled at him and answered it, continuing to keep pace with the group.

"Hey! What's up?" Mid way through the other persons dialogue Ally had begun to bite the corner of her lip, "Um…why?" She glanced over at Austin nervously then down to the ground, "Okay. Okay, I'll ask." She hung up.

"So Mickey…" she crossed her arms over her chest and rocked forward onto the balls of her feet, "Wanna be in the Electrical Parade tonight?"

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Later that evening when they were in an area of the park cut off from the public, Ally glanced around at all the spectacular lights. Ropes upon ropes of colored LED danced through huge floats concealed with intricate paper mache designs. The Fairy Godmother had just walked past her with a soft blue glow divulging from the hoop of her skirt. And she was pretty sure Tinkerbell's entire outfit was made from the tiny bulbs. Blonde bun included. Although she was 24 years old, she once more found herself in awe of the magic that is Walt Disney.

"I just don't understand why Austin is doing it with you instead of me or Elliot. "

Poof. Magic's gone. Thanks, Dallas.

"I've told you five times. They wanted a Mickey and a Minnie, and our outfits best complimented each other."

In other words, Trish made some calls.

"Well, I was going to be Mickey until the network told me I couldn't. Why can't I just borrow Austin's outfit?"

She heard the hearty laugh from a few feet behind her, "Sorry, Bro. These shoes are too big for you to fill. For real, what size shoe are you? Like an 8?"

She thought he'd been talking to Eliot but then realized that was a stupid assumption on her behalf. All day if Dallas had been within three feet of her, so was Austin. It was like teaching two children to share a toy. Not that she was Austin's toy.

_But, I mean, I certainly wouldn't mind it. _

"Funny, man. And no. I'm a nine." She could hear that Dallas in fact, did not find the joke to be funny.

"Sorry. I'm a twelve."

A twelve?! Of course he was. You know what they say about a mans feet. Big feet, big….uh, shoes. She really needed to get her head out of the gutter. Hell, who was she kidding. She'd practically been living in the damn gutter.

Dallas scoffed and went to join Elliot near where they would be riding. Earlier when Trish had called, it was to tell her that tonight she and Austin would be leading the parade because one of the Disney execs had seen the two of them around the park and thought that their outfits fit perfectly together. Ally knew that had been a lie since she had been with Austin for like five minutes when Trish called, but whatever. A girl had to do what a girl had to do. Especially if it was while next to the gorgeous mind climbing onto the float next to her. She had no idea why Disney was so accepting of him being here this weekend, to be honest. His rep wasn't the best. Everyone knew of his womanizing antics. On the other hand though, he was really good about making sure nothing about his relationships ever got out. Everything that was known about his dating conquests had been found out through paparazzi stalking. So she guessed that he got kudos for that.

She had been driving him nuts all day. Ever since he had met up with them to do their junkets, he hadn't been able to take his eyes off her. And he had come to a conclusion.

He had fallen for Allyson Dawson.

Somewhere between the scarce days spent together, the constant communication, and the honesty in her personality, he had developed quite the crush.

And he had no idea what to do about it. He had been acting weird all day. And he knew that she noticed. She would try to converse with him and he would just smile or nod in agreement. Like, what? He was the _master _flirt.

She was fucking with his head. And he wanted her.

He'd have her.

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"That was so fun!" She screamed, climbing off the float and wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug, "You were great up there! Who knew you were so likeable?!"

He laughed at her joke, pinching her sides and causing her to start giggling uncontrollably, "Austin! No, stop!" she tried to squirm out of his grip and failed miserably.

"Nope! Not until you tell me you like me!" He wrapped his arms tighter around the brunette, pulling her tightly into his chest and continuing his assault.

"No way!" At this point her voice was little more than a squeal and she was trying to turn into dead weight to make it harder for him to keep his grip on her.

"Say it!" He said near her ear. She nearly froze at the sensation of his breath grazing her earlobe. Somewhere in the distance she heard the opening notes to When You Wish Upon a Star, and knew that Wishes (the nighttime fireworks show) was about to begin.

He realized how closely they were pressed together and in true cliché fashion, the world around him began to fade away. So focused in on the way her body perfectly formed to his, he didn't notice Trish, Elliot, or Dallas watching them with close eyes. Or the countless cameras of those around him. All he could see was her. "Say you like me, Ally."

She knew that this was a turning point. That once she crossed this line there was no going back to the playful friendship that they currently shared. As she gripped his shoulders tightly, eyes flitting back and forth between his, she saw something in those golden brown orbs that warranted trust. She wanted to trust him more than anything. She wanted to give him the world. Instead, she gave him what she could, "I like you, Austin."

And as the colorful spectacle of pyrotechnics took ahold of the night sky above Walt Disney's first theme park, a pair of soul mates shared their first kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Showtime. **

**Twitter: kfizzlewizzle**

**And check out my bio page for the outfits that our two stars are wearing throughout the story posted on Polyvore. **

**R&R! Let's try to get to 70 reviews this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally**

Fireworks. And not of the Disney variety. Her stomach felt like it was about to implode from the sheer momentum of it. She had never reacted so strongly to a mere kiss. When he had begun to lean in, she didn't hesitate for a moment to frame his face in her hands and meet him halfway. The second she felt the softness of his lips and the slight stubble under her fingertips, she decided then that this was one of the best moments of her life. The sparks between the two of them were nearly palpable and she was half inclined to warn those around them to stand back for fear of injury.

He was shaking. Anxious, excited, exhilarated shaking. As his arms wrapped around her tiny waist he was hit with an archaic sense of possessiveness that she probably would have slapped him for had she felt it. This was his woman now. Regardless of what happened after their kiss, he would do everything within the scope of his power to make sure that she never got away from him. For the first time in his life, he'd found a diamond in a coalmine.

When her fingers lightly began coaxing his jaw open, he bit back a moan. He complied and quickly felt the sweetness of her tongue against his. They moved together in a dance as familiar as breathing. Her hands slowly slid down to his chest, and she stood on her toes to take in as much of him as possible. When she used her teeth to tug on his lower lip, the streak of fire that shot straight to the blonde's groin told him it was too much for him to handle.

"Ally." He had pulled away, softly moving his hands up to her biceps, and putting a few inches between them, "I can't."

Her huge doe eyes turned from lustful to broken in less than a second, and it felt like a fist was squeezing his heart. "Oh." She let go of his shoulders beginning to pull back.

He missed her warmth immediately. "No! No, it's not because I don't want to!" He quickly tried to remedy the situation. Her eyes widened even more and she tilted her head, staring at him blankly in confusion.

_Okay, Austin. How can you say this with grace and chivalry?_

She had no idea what was going on. One moment she was having the most intense kiss of her life and about ready to jump into bed with the man she was sharing it with, and the next minute he suddenly 'can't" but not because he doesn't want to? What does that even mean? Was she just missing something because that kiss had left her so dazed?

In what was becoming the norm for her, she quirked her eyebrow and waited for him to elaborate. "It's just that…that kiss…and you… made me…you know." He gritted through his teeth.

She still wasn't catching his drift and in all actuality was starting to get annoyed with the photographer. "Made you what, Austin?" Her tone screamed exasperation.

He didn't respond with words. Instead he simply looked down at the significantly more prominent than before bulge between his legs.

_Fuck. _

_Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck._

She unintentionally bit her bottom lip, keeping her gaze exactly where he had led it too. She heard him clear his throat, and figured that he probably wanted her to look up.

She was perfectly content with her line of vision but sometimes you have to take one for the team, ya know?

"Come back to my hotel room." _Ally Dawson! You scandalous girl!_

_Shut up._

_You shouldn't bring him back with you. Yeah, we like him but you know his reputation._

_Shut up._

_Ally…_

_Shut up!_

She took a break from her inner argument and their eyes met.

"Lead the way."

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She was afraid that it would be awkward when they got into her room, but no sooner had she opened the door that he was practically throwing her onto the bed.

It was hot.

She lay flat on her back, pushing herself up onto her elbows so she could get a good look at the man who stood at the edge of her bed. She could only imagination the perfection that was under the fabric of his clothes. She had remembered him telling her that he spent most of his time at the studio and at the gym, and the day he had taken off his shirt at the beach during volleyball only confirmed that statement. His chest had been like metal encompassed in pure velvet. Soft on the outside, but so fucking hard underneath.

She desperately wanted to know what else was hard on his body.

He pulled apart his bowtie and had undone the first two buttons on his shirt before deciding that he wanted to give the brunette the honor of undressing him. She looked absolutely delectable spread out on the bed before him. Her breaths were so heavy that it was causing her chest to rise and fall to the rhythm of her heart. Her skirt had risen to the point that it was just hiding from his sight the one place he wanted to be most. He gave her a primal grin before leaning his hands on the bed beside both of her feet, then slowly climbing up her body. The softness of the women beneath him only exacerbated the blood flow between his legs.

Her hands were running up his back, waiting for the moment when he would kiss her again. It was almost like a game. She would tilt her head upward to attach their lips and he would pull back a centimeter with a grin on his face. He would lean in searching for a connection and she would slant her head to the left so that he coupled with her cheek instead.

As the tension built to the point where they were both more than ready to see where the night would take them, her phone began to ring in the distance.

She could've cooed at the adorableness of his pout when he heard the familiar tone. "Don't worry. I'm ignoring it."

See? Always wanting to shirk her real life responsibilities for this kid. Oh well. She was sure he'd make it worth her while.

He beamed and finally caught her lips in his own, which she was so not expecting. That's why her body arched off the bed to meet his and her legs found their way around his waist.

That's what she always did when she was surprised. Or something.

The ringing that had just ceased once again reverberated through the room and she could've punched a spider.

Oh, don't look at her like that. Spiders totally deserved punchings.

Austin tensed as though he was about to pull back so in retaliation she buried her hands in his hair and bit his lip to keep him in position.

It worked.

His hips had begun to move of their own accord, pressing himself into her most sensitive spot. She let out the breathiest moan he'd ever heard and rose to meet his movements. But there were too many clothes between them. She needed more.

At this point she was so tuned in to only Austin that she had no idea that her phone was still ringing. So you could only imagine her surprise when Trish burst through the door as her fingers were nimbly working their way down the buttons on Austin's shirt.

Well this wasn't how she'd expected this to go.

"Why weren't you answering your phone?!" Trish stormed over not even pausing at the fact that her client had a gorgeous man in her bed. The Latina then proceeded to pull said man off of said client by the collar of his shirt. Ally noticeably whimpered at the loss of contact, causing Austin to grin arrogantly.

_Shut up, asshole. _She shot him a glare instead.

"Trish, I'm a little busy." The actress gestured to Austin and then the bed.

"I can see that. You." She pointed to the photographer whom she had manhandled not even two minutes ago, "Out."

Austin for his part was thoroughly confused. He was about to hit second base with Ally, probably end the night with a home run if he was being honest, and this crazed Banshee had completely halted everything. "But…" he looked at Ally to see how she felt about this and saw her sitting at the edge of the bed, biting her bottom lip. She was playing with her fingers and avoiding his gaze so he figured this maybe it _was _time for him to go.

He sighed and walked over to the beautiful woman. Leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on her forehead, he ran his fingers through her ponytail and tilted his head down to catch her eye, "Call me later?"

All she gave back to him was a slight nod. Wondering where the previously passionate siren had gone, he turned around and left.

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"What the hell, Trish?" Ally bit at her manager. Oh yeah. She was fuming. How dare she enter her room and disrupt what was bound to be the first of many orgasmic nights with Austin. This bitch was about to feel her wrath.

"Oh, don't give me that!" her curly haired best friend sat down beside her. "I called you four times, Ally. Four times! You can't just make out with a notorious playboy in the middle of _Walt fucking Disneyland_, surrounded by countless cameras and recording devices, not to mention your costar who is still harboring a serious crush on you, and then just run back to your hotel with him!"

Ally flinched at the recounting of events and her anger started to deflate. "Trish, I'm sorry-"

"Damn right, you're sorry! This is going to be all over the tabloids, Ally! And as if things weren't awkward enough on set with you and Dallas now there are going to be rumors more vicious than those damn Glee girls' were! What were you thinking?!" Trish was gaining steam and Ally knew this was a bad sign. Once the Latina was riled up she was impossible to settle down.

"I don't know, Trish. I wasn't thinking." Ally stood up and pulled her hair tie out, freeing the full curls to fall around her shoulders. She walked to the vanity and began pulling the yellow studs from her ears, not meeting Trish's eyes for fear of what she might see there.

"Ally…" she was surprised at the calm tone of voice her manager was using, "You almost slept with him. You almost slept with Austin Moon."

Well. She knew where this was going. And unfortunately she knew that Trish was right.

She looked down at the top of the vanity, letting her shoulders slightly slump. "I know…"

After Trish had come in and pulled Austin off, she had realized what she was doing. She was about to give herself to the Casanova of her generation and they weren't even dating. She didn't consider herself a traditionalist by any means when it came to sex but even she had some standards. Whenever she was around him though, her brain got all muddy. He was her kryptonite.

She walked back towards the bed and laid down, resting her head on her best friends lap. Trish's hand automatically began combing through her hair. This is what they'd done during all of Ally's catharsis sessions. Since they were five years old, before either of them had made it big.

"Trish, I feel so much for him. I want to be able to trust him but how am I to know he won't just hit and quit it with me? And while my brain is perfectly functional enough to recognize that as a possibility, my body just says 'fuck it.' Literally. All the time. My body always wants to fuck it."

"Am I to assume that 'it' is Austin?"

Ally laughed and turned her head more in to Trish's thigh, "Yeah. That's a safe assumption."

Trish leaned back on one arm and continued her pastime on Ally's hair, "I don't think he'd do that to you, hon. I know that's his reputation but I've seen the way he looks at you. Did you know he called me to ask about everything you'd be wearing during this trip so he could match it?"

At this Ally lifted her head and looked up at Trish, "He did?"

The manager nodded and pushed the actress's head back down onto her lap with a smile. "Yeah. He did. He makes you so happy, Als. And I want you to be happy more than anyone, you know that." Ally nodded in agreement. "I'll make sure to do all the damage control over tonight. I just don't want you to rush into anything and get hurt."

Ally had to fight back tears. She and Trish hadn't had much of a chance to be _friends _in recent months due to everything taking off. She missed this. It was then that she vowed to herself to make more of an effort to keep this woman close in her life. She was her best friend after all.

She sat up and wrapped her arms around the Latina, "I love you, Trish Kabob."

The old nickname ripped a laugh out of Trish, "And I love you, Ally-gator."

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Later after Trish had left and Ally had finished getting ready for bed, she slid between her sheets remembering that she'd told Austin she would call him. It was late so he'd probably be asleep but she could at least leave a voicemail so that he wouldn't think Trish had killed her.

Which was actually a completely valid fear in his defense.

Yawning, she was shocked when he answered on the first ring, _"Hey, are you okay?"_

Her heart raced at the evident concern in his voice, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you. Why are you still up?"

"_I was worried about you. I just wanted to be sure that Trish hadn't already hid your body."_

See? She knew him well. "Nope. Still alive and well."

"_Good." _She heard rustling and it sounded like he was getting comfortable in bed. "_Are you okay about earlier though?"_

She knew exactly what he was talking about and it was pointless to pretend that she didn't. "Yeah…I just…I'm glad she came in, Austin."

His sigh broke her heart a little, "_I was hoping you wouldn't say that."_

"No…it's not that I regret anything or don't want it to happen." She cuddled further into her sheets, really getting comfortable, "Just not yet. I wasn't lying though. I really do like you, Austin."

"_I really do like you, Ally. More than I've ever liked anyone."_

Oh, hey butterflies. Nice to see you again.

They fell into a comfortable silence before he broke it with, "_So….what are you wearing?"_

She let out one of those adorable full-bodied laughs. "I'm surprised you don't know. After all, you did call my manager to see what I would be wearing all weekend, remember?"

Pause then, "_Whaaaaat?"_

"Uh huh."

"_I have no idea what you're talking about. I plead the fifth."_

"Sure, you do."

He yawned from his end of the phone and she realized how tired she was as well, "_What time are you leaving your room tomorrow?"_

"Ten." Her eyes were closed and it was taking a ridiculous amount of will power to continue this conversation.

"_I'll pick you up at 9:30."_

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When she heard a knock on her door she couldn't help the spring in her step as she went to answer it.

Pulling the heavy wood open she feigned an overdramatic sigh, "Damnit. I was hoping you'd pick Olaf."

He looked down at his Kristoff-esque outfit in defense, "Hey now. I tried really hard on this. Do you know how hard it is to dress with _Kristoffs _color scheme? I mean, really." He gestured towards his gray jeans, and shirt, maroon vans, and maroon hat. "And I thought it'd be douche-y to wear all white. But hey. I still like warm hugs!"

She opened her arms for him and he came willingly, closing the door behind him. Wrapping his arms around her waist in what was fast becoming a familiar way, he softly covered her lips with his own, grateful that she returned the display of affection without refusal.

She looked _good _today. Well she looked good everyday actually. But today with her two braids, maroon crop top and royal blue shorts, she looked _GOOD. _

"How come you didn't go for Elsa?" He sat down in the lone armchair of the room, catching her wrist and pulling her into his lap when she moved to walk past him.

She laughed and settled in, sliding her fingers across the back of his neck and up to the small amount of hair that was poking out from under his hat. "I didn't feel like singing Let It Go every time someone recognized my character. Let's face it, Do You Wanna Build a Snowman should've won an Emmy."

He laughed at her joke and pecked the tip of her nose with his lips. Her eyes were glowing today and he had hoped that he was the one who had done that to her. Although he knew he was the one who was likely about to make it go away.

"Ally, I wanna talk to you about something."

She heard the seriousness in his voice and immediately straightened up, pulling her hands from his hair to her lap. She was racking her mind of what she could've possibly done to warrant such a sober conversation, "Okay…"

He knew he'd have to talk to her about this at some point. And he knew that the sooner he did it, the sooner they could put it behind them and move on with whatever they were about to be.

"It's about Cassidy."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay, okay! I'll show you what's on the other side of the cliff! **

**Twitter: kfizzlewizzle**

**And check out my bio page for the outfits that our two stars are wearing throughout the story posted on Polyvore. **

**R&R! Let's try to get to 87 reviews this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally**

Ally wracked her brain trying to figure out why the name sounded so familiar to her. When she was hit with the realization that it was the blonde bimbo from Austin's apartment, her body went stiff.

"Okay…what about her?" This could go so many ways. She was seriously freaking out. Sure she liked Austin but how much would she be willing to accept before she realized he wasn't worth it. Were they in a serious relationship? Did Ally just become a home-wrecker? Had he gotten Cassidy pregnant? Was She a secret He? Were they siblings engaging in some freaky ass Flowers in the Attic type of stuff? Now that she really focused on it, they did look eerily alike…

He noticed her scrutinizing his face and was wondering what the heck she was even thinking about. Last night after he had told her he'd be at her hotel room this morning, she had fallen asleep before getting the chance to hang up. Listening to the steady intake of her breaths, he couldn't bring himself to end the call. Through only his auditory sense he had practically felt those feather light bursts of air on his own cheek, as though they were sharing a bed. Around 4:00 am though, he had hung up for fear of her waking and realizing that he was still on the line and hadn't slept a wink.

That would just come off as creepy.

It was then, listening to her sleep, he decided that he needed to tell her everything about his past. She had been so patient in not asking, although he knew it was eating at her. He could read it in those milky dark eyes when they flirted as a distinctive look that asked how many other girls he had used the lines on. He felt an inexplicable pressure on his chest at the thought that she would think anything less than 100% of him. He figured it would be best to start at the beginning.

And in the beginning….there was Cassidy.

"We were engaged."

Oh. _Oh. _Wait. What? "How where you engaged?!"

He looked at her like she was stupid. "Well, I mean….first, I got her a ring and then I asked-"

"Stop." She held up a perfectly manicured hand. Admittedly, she had walked into that one but now was seriously not the time for jokes, "You know what I meant. How did I never know that? And why didn't it work out?"

He relaxed slightly when she maintained her position in his lap. That was a good sign. It meant she wasn't completely put off by the mere thought of him yet. Comforted by the weight of her, he progressed in his story, hoping her feelings wouldn't change.

"It was right after college. We met at NYU. She studied acting and I was doing music theory at the time so we were both in Tisch." She nodded at him, urging him to continue the story. He couldn't read her expression so he wanted to get it all out before her face gave away any adverse feelings. His chest was constricting in fear at the next part of this reveal. It was something that few knew about, not even Dez. He had built up walls to rival Jericho's to make sure that this part of his life was kept private. Especially since it was the event that had most made him the man he was today.

"When we had been engaged for three months, she told me she was pregnant." He saw some sort of sensation flash across her eyes but it happened in a nanosecond so he couldn't make out what exactly it was.

Holy shit. Austin was a father. How had he kept that hidden? Where was this mystery child? Oh God, it was probably beautiful. Especially with the blonde's perfect genes. And she had to be honest in stating that Cassidy wasn't half bad looking either. What if he was he a deadbeat dad? She didn't think he would be. If there was one thing she knew about him it was that he was loyal to a fault. There had to be more to this telling. Channeling every acting lesson she'd ever recieved, she quickly schooled her expression and took hold of Austin's hand hoping that he understood the gesture as a form of encouragement from her to go on.

"She miscarried two weeks later."

The room was still. The air grew thick with everything currently being unsaid. The brunettes throat constricted in sympathetic agony at the thought of this kind, precious man losing a child that he had never had. She wanted to hold him to her chest and never let go. To murmur condolences in his ear until his heart felt whole again. But she could tell that wasn't what he needed. He needed to finish recounting his story.

So she just squeezed his hand tighter.

He was incredibly grateful when she said no words. He could tell it was a struggle for her. She was practically bursting at the seams with her desire to stabilize the situation. She had clearly understood that he needed to get everything out though. Or else he probably never would.

"Things spiraled out of control from there." The excruciating pain that the loss of his child had saddled him with rose from within him like the burn of a thousand suns. His throat tightened and he struggled to swallow down a sob. Suspecting a breakdown he quickly shouldered on, "Kassidy was crushed and I couldn't seem to fix it no matter what I did. She began to drink. At first leisurely and then methodically. Not only had I lost my child but I was also losing the only woman who would ever be able to grasp the full extent of my pain." He ignored the lone tear rolling down her cheek. He had to continue. "My entire life changed. Music no longer meant anything to me. My heart began to harden. I lost sympathy for the woman who I was supposed to love unconditionally. I just didn't understand why she couldn't fix herself!" At this point he subconsciously ran a hand through his hair, unknowingly knocking his hat off in the process. "I should've stuck by her, Ally. I had no idea that what she was experiencing was so much worse than what I ever could. Her body gave out on her when she needed it most. Do you know what that feels like? To know that _you _were inadvertently the reason that you lost the one thing that already meant the most to you? I don't. Because I wasn't carrying our child. She was. And she was the one carrying the weight of its lifelessness, even long after it was already gone."

She was crying openly now. She couldn't control the steady stream of salt water running down her cheeks and onto his lap. What could she say in this situation? What could anyone say really? Austin. Her Austin. Austin who was witty, light, and flirty had been through a heartache that few others ever would. And he never for once let an ounce of that hurt slip through his smooth façade. She was blasted with the proverbial impact of his unconditional trust. Knowing that no words could ever express the true force of what she was feeling, she did the only thing she could think of.

When her lips crashed into his it wasn't romantic or lustful. It was desperate. She was desperate. She needed him to feel the sorrow that his words had placed upon her. To feel that she was here for him to talk to no matter how long it had been since his tragedy. Her hands took hold in the center of his shirt, clutching the fabric desperately of their own accord. She could taste the bitterness of her tears permeating the breach between their lips. They wouldn't stop coming and she distantly feel the calloused pads of his fingers against her cheekbones, trying to catch the droplets.

He pulled away from the kiss and bore into her eyes. The glistening from the tears left unshed had given them a mahogany glean unlike anything he'd ever seen before. His thumbs remained where they were, tenderly brushing the wetness from her face. Gently grabbing hold of his wrists with her fingers, his heart skipped a beat when she angled her head ever so slightly to place a chaste kiss on his knuckle. "Austin…"

Hearing the sympathy laced in her voice, he didn't let her sentence culminate. "I know, baby. Just let me finish, okay?"

She nodded curtly, ignoring the butterflies that the pet name had caused and again brought their joined hands back down to her lap.

"I started photography as an outlet. I was constantly looking for something. A feeling that I hadn't had in a long time. Photography let me see through the lens the life that I was originally meant to lead. I could capture joy, or desire. Distrust or mischief. Since I left Kassidy my own life had become little more than empty hookups and unwanted appearances. My camera was the best friend that I could live vicariously through. Until you walked into my studio."

Her gaze shot up quickly at this, "Austin, please don't make this about me. It's not what's import-"

"Ally." He was furiously searching for the words to get her to understand. "This is all about you." He gestured to the space between them. "I'm sharing all of this because of you. It's important to me that you know."

A slight smile peeked through the otherwise brokenness of her features. With another tilt of her head, he pushed forward.

"The night you saw me with Kassidy had nothing to do with what had happened earlier in the day with Dallas. Yes, I was jealous and I completely overreacted. But I wasn't feeling vindictive or resentful. Kassidy came over that night. I didn't call her or anything. She just came." He let out a shaky breath and looked down at their interlocked fingers, "It was two years since his due date, Al. He would've been two."

She could've slapped herself. She had come over fully intent on yelling at him and had left his apartment with a heart heavy with rage. All while he was reliving what was probably one of the worst moments of his life.

"We did sleep together that night. And I do regret it. It shouldn't have happened. But tensions were running so high and we both felt so raw. We needed something to make us feel more connected to each other so we did the only thing we'd ever known how."

Again, she nodded in understanding. It was pretty much the only thing she could think to do throughout this entire conversation. _Don't mind little old Ally Dawson. Just clearly forgot how to use her words._ She would've been lying had she said that it didn't kill her to know that he had sex with Kassidy, especially now knowing the degree to which they had previously been involved. But she couldn't fault him for it at all. It was a bond that she would hopefully never be able to fathom, and she had no idea what she'd have done if the roles were reversed.

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

At hearing those words escape his lips, she slid down to her knees to kneel in front of him. She brought their conjoined hands to her lips and taking in the complete vulnerability of his eyes decided it was time to make this a two-sided conversation, "It did hurt, Austin. But I understand. Well…in the best way I can. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I know those words may seem empty because there's not much I can do to ever get rid of that pain for you, but just know that I am so very sorry for your loss. And in regards to you sleeping with Kassidy, I don't have any right to be upset. I have no claim on you."

This time it was his turn to kiss the tips of her fingers, "What if I want you to have claim on me?"

Her heart had begun to palpitate. She was so emotionally exposed from the first half of this conversation, but she felt in her heart that Austin had closed the topic for now. Studying his eyes she could see that he was hardly hanging on and she was more than willing to do anything to ease some of the weight that had almost visually settled on his shoulders.

"What…what are you saying, Austin?" Was her voice always this shaky? It's not like she didn't know that they'd eventually need to have this talk. She was just kind of expecting a day or two of mindless make-outs before then.

He gave her an honest smile, pulling her off her knees and back onto his lap. She fit so perfectly against him. Like the cliché of the missing puzzle piece that you always hear about in chick flicks. "I want to take you out on a date, Als. And while we see where this goes between you and I, I would like it if you didn't see anyone else."

Her eyebrow quirked as she waited for him to continue. He didn't. "What about you?"

"Oh. Um…" Her hand was already lifted to hit him when he caught her wrist. She was consoled by the joviality in his eyes before he spoke again, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Of course, I won't see anyone else. I don't _want _to see anyone else."

She couldn't hide the smile threatening to take over her face. She felt utterly spent from everything that had just occurred between the two of them and her day had barely just begun. She sunk down a little further and rested against his chest. She could feel his Adams Apple bobbing against the crown of her head and was again struck by how completely sheltered she felt with his presence surrounding her. Between the strength of the arms hanging loosely around her waist to the rugged fragrance that was purely his, it had been too long since she felt this protected.

"Thank you, Austin." Her fingers moved up to trace the smoothness of his jaw line. He must've shaved earlier this morning. "For everything."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: SORRY MY MOM HAD A BABY. I'll be posting as usual from now on out. I want to make this a long fic. Like….at least twenty chapters. As long as I'm interested in A&A, I'll keep writing it. **

**Thank you all so much for the unending support and reviews. I may not have time to respond to everyone but I truly do appreciate it, so so much. **

**Twitter: kfizzlewizzle**

**And check out my bio page for the outfits that our two stars are wearing throughout the story posted on Polyvore. **

**R&R! I'm going to start holding my chapters hostage for reviews in return. Yeah, I'm shameless. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally**

Ally dropped her suitcase as soon as she stepped through her apartment door. She was _burnt out. _She loved Disneyland. But being a walking advertisement for her parent network the past 72 hours had really begun to take its toll on her. The past two days were especially rough, as the company had spent that time integrating the ABC Family actors and the Disney Channel actors into multiple press junkets. Austin had had to leave her side soon after their heartfelt discussion and she'd only had the opportunity to spend a combined total of half an hour with him since. They were both too worn out for anything beyond a sweet kiss goodnight, and she wasn't yet comfortable enough with him to let him spend the night with her.

In other words, she didn't know whether or not she drooled and was not at all willing to risk it.

She had texted him early this morning to see if he could meet her for breakfast at the hotel but he told her he had a meeting to attend. She wasn't one to butt her nose in where it wasn't wanted so she didn't ask with whom.

But she wanted to know, damnit.

She was still reeling from everything that she had found out about Kassidy. She wanted to hate the girl but she just couldn't find it in herself to do so. She ached for the child that Austin had never had, even knowing that the entire event was the only reason that he was currently in her life.

Checking her phone on her way to her bedroom, she rolled her eyes at the voicemail and missed call from Dallas. That was another thing she was tired of. It was like seeing her and Austin kiss had kicked his obsessive nature into overdrive. He had been calling, texting, _and_ visiting her hotel room about the most mundane things in the entire freaking universe.

_No, Dallas. I've never watched Sherlock. Okay, bye bye now. _

Just as Trish had promised, she'd somehow avoided the entire falling out of their very public kiss. As media circuits whirled with rumors of their alleged affair, the manager had spun some tale about Austin and Ally being filmed for a honeymoon promotion of the parks. And people bought it.

Austin had said it was supercalifragilisticexpiala-bullshit.

Her laughter at the phrase had immobilized her for a good ten minutes.

She threw her phone on her bed, electing not to listen to the voicemail until she was more emotionally stable, and fell face first into the softness. It was just as perfect as it was when she left it. This feather soft cloud was her one true love. Her ride-or-die. After all, it was from the ultimate mattress store…Moon's Mattress Kingdom.

She shot up from her bed, eyes wide in recognition. Hold the phone.

Literally, she plucked her phone from the pillow next to her and scrolled for the name she had just mentally linked.

"_Hey, sweetheart." _

Chills. All over her body chills. She hoped she would never get used to this feeling. _Focus, Dawson._

"Do your parents own Moon's Mattress Kingdom?" She didn't even greet him before blurting out her question. _Ain't nobody got time for that. _God, she was awkward even in her head.

It was so embarrassing.

"_Yep. Sure do. Why, you looking for yourself a sugar daddy?"_ The whim in his voice was clearly audible through the line.

"Shut up, jerk. I was just lounging on my _magical _mattress from Moon's Mattress Kingdom. You know, where there's no hassle in their castle?" Oh, he knew. They'd filmed the commercial a million times. "Anyway, it dawned on me that the man I'm soon to be dating has the last name of Moon as well and I was curious as to whether or not he was the Prince William of the bedding industry."

"_I wouldn't go that far. But I certainly wouldn't mind you being my Kate Middleton. Open up."_

Hearing the quick rap of his knuckles echoing through her home, she didn't even question his sudden appearance at her doorstep. She just trudged to the foyer and pulled open her door for the gorgeous photographer.

He stepped in without any regards to her personal space and she didn't mind one bit. Leaning down the full head height between them he placed a hand on her hip and gave her a chaste kiss, using his free hand to slide his phone into his back pocket, "Hi."

Her hands clutched her phone against her chest as her lashes fluttered closed. Her mouth curved into a content smile, "Hi. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?" She interlaced their fingers and turned back towards her bedroom. Company or not, she was going to get that cloud time, damnit.

Austin liked where this was going. He liked it a lot. The one time he had been here before he hadn't gotten to see her bedroom, as he had been sequestered strictly in the living area. The apartment was spacious with floor to ceiling windows aligning one wall, and an open floor plan that allowed one to see the living room from the kitchen and vice versa. It was decorated with a hodge-podge of bright colors that clearly screamed Ally. "I missed you. I didn't get to spend a lot of time with you at Disney so I figured we could hang out before our date tonight."

She stopped in the hallway, doing a complete about face and causing him to nearly walk right over her. "I think that may be against the rules. Sort of like seeing your bride before the wedding day." She started back towards her chamber. "And also, you probably should've asked me if I could go out tonight. It just so happens that I have plans."

His eyebrows rose up to the point that they were practically hidden under his hair. "You do?!"

"No." She deadpanned, "But it's the principle of it."

He laughed and slapped her butt jokingly, "Allyson Marie Dawson, would you like to go out with me this evening?" When he finally entered the promise land, sure enough against the back wall in the middle of the room was a King sized Moon exclusive Serta bed. It mirrored the one in his apartment back at NYC. Of course his was a California King because, well, overcompensation or something.

She began to climb between the sheets and he smirked. No invitation was needed for him to pull his shoes off and slide in next to her. He knew it was implied. "Sure, Austin _Monica _Moon. I would love to grace you with my presence tonight."

He immediately sought out her lips. Eyes closed, neck extended in order to find the familiar heart shaped mouth. He was 'bout to get some. Maybe not all the some, but he'd be okay with even some of the some as long as the some of the some that he was getting was a little somethin' somethin'.

That was completely easy to follow, right?

Anyway, it was frisky time. _Ally, give me those sweet-_

Fingers.

Against his lips.

Preventing him from kissing her.

She bit back a laugh at the facial expression he made when she'd halted his movement. She could've kissed the adorable pout right off his face. That made it very difficult for her to stay resolute in her decision. On one hand, she had her current dating prospect naked and willing in her bed. Well, technically he wasn't naked yet but if given the chance she was sure that he'd strip down in a heartbeat.

On the other hand, sleep sounded _so_ _so good. _

Call her stupid if you want but she was opting for the nap. She'd once heard someone say something like "boys may come and go but sleep will be here forever".

Yeah, okay, so that may have originally been a quote about friendship but what kind of actress would she be if she didn't know how to improvise. Sorry, she wasn't not sorry_. _

"What do you think you're doing, sir?" She knew exactly what he was doing. She kept her hand in its current location on his lips. Mostly because she was finding the effect it had on his face hilarious.

He talked around her hand and she tried to take him seriously but with eyebrows arched comically and eyes conveying pure innocence, it was quite the challenge. This guy was too much sometimes.

"Whatever do you mean, my love?" _Ignore it, Ally. Ignore it._

No matter what she told herself, her stomach still did some whiz-bang, flip flop, heaven for a minute type stuff. She really needed to inform him that he was not to call her anything other than her name. That was next on her list of things to do. Right after gouging her eyes out with a rusty spoon.

"Don't play dumb with me. You're too dumb to play dumb." Oh yeah. She was so good at comebacks. Her insults were unmatched. She should be like…the comeback of insulting master.

Wait, did that make sense? Whatever. She should probably tune back in on Austin since she was pretty sure he had started talking about something.

"…and sleep together."

Back the truck up.

Maybe she should've been listening to his whole monologue instead of just the back half of his sentence. He couldn't have possibly just suggested that the two of them sleep together. There was no way. For having such an impressive rep as a player he must have better moves than that, right? Right?!

"Wait, what'd you just say?"

He questioned the dazed look on her face but just rolled with it. She must've zoned out to what he was saying because she had responded as though his words were so rich with scandal that it was never to be repeated again. He slowly pulled her digits from the curve of his lips before repeating himself, "I said, I just wanted to give you a sweet dreams kiss before we take a nap and fall asleep together." A prominent smirk graced his strong features.

She knew he was lying.

He knew that she knew he was lying.

They both ignored his lie.

She rolled over halfway, letting her chin rest in the dip of his chest. "Great. Kiss my lips."

She was so fucking cute. Her bottom lip had jutted out in a perfect pout that was, strangely enough, kind of ridiculously attractive. Sleek curls fell over her shoulders in perfect waves, which was fast becoming his favorite hairstyle on her. And she just lay there looking up at him with those doe eyes. Waiting for him to complete her request.

Well more of a demand than a request, but it's cool.

Regardless, who was he to deny her?

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That was the best fucking nap of his entire life.

He hadn't really expected to catch some shut-eye. His only plan was to hold her and let her finally rest herself up after going nonstop all weekend. However, as soon as he had laid behind her, feeling the perfect form of her back against his chest, he'd basically become a coma patient.

Out like a light bulb. Not a single twitch. No remote trace of a dream, bad or good. Just perfect, rarely attainable, sleep.

They slept pressed against each other without interruption until she stretched out her legs and accidentally brushed her toes against his calf, springing him awake.

His sudden awareness had absolutely nothing to do with her back arching and therefore leading her ass to press deliciously into the one part of his body he had no control over.

Nothing at all to do with that.

Ignoring his arousal dilemma, he flexed the fingers of his hand on the arm that her head was resting on, her hair splayed across the pillow. Her eyes remained closed and she breathed evenly, which told him that she was still asleep.

Not wanting to disturb her slumber, he took this opportunity to glance around the room and observe the ambience of her abode. The walls were painted a simple cream color but throughout the space there were a variety of pieces set in multiple hues of blue to accent the room. There was a beautifully carved armoire opposite the bed, finished in a dark cherry wood that appeared to be part of a set along with her bed frame, nightstands, and chest of drawers. The doors to the large cabinet were open, exposing a nice 42-inch TV. Maybe if he could find the remote, he could turn it down low enough to kill some time until she joined him in the land of the conscious.

Rolling onto his back, he craned his neck to the side in search of the small device that would solve the problem of his boredom.

Hold up. What that is?

Don't mind his grammar. He didn't choose the gangsta life. The gangsta life chose him.

Anyway, he brought his attention back to what appeared to be a brown leather clad book on the edge of the nightstand. It had a distressed "A" etched into its cover and had clearly seen some wear over the years. With a piqued curiosity, he smoothly slid his hand over to the book making sure not to jostle her any so that she wouldn't wake.

"Don't touch my book."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Date nighttttt. As I mentioned on Twitter, I'd like this story to take a different approach. So starting next chapter, I'll be working on longer chapters and trying to extend the time frame more as opposed to day by day chapters. **

**Thank you all so much for the unending support and reviews. I may not have time to respond to everyone but I truly do appreciate it, so so much. **

**Twitter: kfizzlewizzle**

**And check out my bio page for the outfits that our two stars are wearing throughout the story posted on Polyvore. **

**R&R please!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally**

Holy fucking ninja. His head snapped back to look at her. She remained completely still with her eyes shut. How had she even known that he was reaching for the book? More so, what exactly was in the book that she was so adamant about keeping from him?

"Why? What's in it?" She had better stop pretending to be asleep. He was itching to know about this mysterious book.

She languidly opened one eye to look up at him. His face was an amusing contortion of desperation and curiosity, and she was _this close _to letting him see her book.

Unfortunately for him, _this close _wasn't quite close enough.

She rolled towards her book with her arm already outstretched and inadvertently straddled him. Sitting up straight she clutched the prized possession to her chest and held her index finger two inches from his nose. "It doesn't matter what's in it. Don't touch my book_. Ever." _She said sternly.

His eyes widened hysterically at the non-specified threat. He had no intention of ever testing her patience in regards to the item and was only left to hope that one day she'd trust him enough to share the mysteries within it.

Yeah, right. He was totally going to get his hands on that fucker. Right after he got out of his current predicament.

Her bare legs were still set on either side of him, and the prominent weight she added to his nether regions was definitely causing a slight stir that he was praying she wouldn't notice. It would be impossible for him to say that he hadn't thought about how explosively hot it'd be when they finally slept together.

In his head it was always "when" and never "if" because he was a firm believer in self-fulfilling prophecy. Although in this case, he'd already done enough self-fulfilling while thinking about her.

For those who didn't catch that, it meant that he'd masturbated. A lot.

Somewhere in the crevices of his mind he recalled that they were in the middle of a discussion, and tore his eyes from the tiny Soffe shorts that protected her dignity. Oh, right. The book. Don't touch it. "Yes ma'am." He mock saluted with wide eyes. Meanwhile, he thought to himself _Mission: Ally's Book was officially a go._

"Good." She bent down to place a soft kiss on his lips. Hovering about an inch away from his mouth, she softly added, "Now get out."

His eyebrows raised and his face immediately showed confusion. She laughed and rolled off of him in pursuit of her bathroom, "I have a date to get ready for. You can let yourself out." Then she closed the door on him.

He remained in her bed and stared after her for probably two minutes before he realized that she'd actually meant what she said. So he let himself out.

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_What should I wear? –Ally_

She had been standing in her closet for half an hour. Do you have any idea the amount of pressure placed on you when you finally go out on a date with the guy that you're kind of already dating?

More than you'd think.

She'd already been through countless jeans, skirts, and dresses, leaving her bedroom and bathroom in utter disarray. Clothes were strewn all over her mattress and she mentally berated herself for overthinking all of this.

**Anything, you'd like. You look perfect in everything. – A.M**

She said a quick prayer that he wasn't there to see the blush take over her face. It would make the banter she was about to engage him in a lot more believable.

_Suck up. You're just trying to get lucky. –Ally_

Setting her phone down she went back to work digging through the racks. And then she saw it.

You know that scene in Harry Potter when Olivander gives the boy wizard his first wand and light pours down from the heavens like _sparkle, sparkle, sparkle, sparkle_ and the wind rushes through like _breeze, breeze, breeze, breeze _and angels sing in beautiful harmony? It was just like that.

Except there was no light.

Or breeze.

Or angels singing.

But it was the _feel _of the moment that mattered.

The dress was royal blue and cut in a halter, with a sweetheart neckline. She had worn it for a vintage 1950's photo spread a few weeks ago with Elliot and Dallas, and had fallen in love the moment she'd put it on. Ally had offered the woman list price for it but the stylist was sweet enough to let the actress keep it free of charge. Unfortunately since then it had been gathering dust in the back of her closet. What better time than now to revisit the gorgeous frock?

She heard her phone vibrate and distractedly picked it up from the shelf that it was resting on, still scrutinizing the dress and considering hair and makeup options that would compliment it.

**Is it working? ;) I'll pick you up at 8. –A.M**

She bit her bottom lip and chose not to respond, beginning the journey towards her vanity to do her makeup. She really didn't know what to expect from tonight. Under normal circumstances she and Austin were extremely comfortable around each other, but a date was definitely not considered a normal circumstance. The typical date night for her consisted of spending three hours getting ready, unknowingly slipping into the most awkward version of herself, going on a terrible date, then drowning her sorrows with pickles and binge watching Crime & Judgment on Netflix.

Trish had got her hooked on the stupid show and it was now her own personal crack. But she was the worst at guessing the perpetrator. Like…it was perfectly justifiable to think that the detective committed the crime, wasn't it?

Trish didn't seem to think so.

_Joke's on her. See if I ever defend her ass in court. _

Not that she thought she'd need to. But it was the principle of the matter.

She finished painting her face and returned to her previous thoughts. She felt completely at ease around him with their current situation and was terrified that the pressure of this evening would turn her into a bumbling idiot. All she could really do was get ready and wait for 8:00 to come around.

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It was 8:27.

She hadn't heard anything from him and was sitting patiently on her couch ready to go.

And by that she meant she was pacing furiously in front of her television.

She didn't know whether it was appropriate to call him and ask where he was so she hadn't yet. She was fully prepared to light his ass up if he still remained covert at 8:30 though.

It was 8:29 when she heard the knock.

She tried to remain cool, calm, and collected. Really she did. But brushing her hair behind her ear and smoothing down her skirt had done nothing to stifle the irritation developing at her core. She pulled open the door.

"You're late." _Good going, Ally. Way to be cute. _

His brown eyes widened in virtue and the flowers he held out seemed frozen in bewilderment. "I'm not late."

Her eyebrow quirked and she took the flowers from him, headed for the kitchen to find a vase, "You told me 8:00."

Following behind her into the brightly lit space, he brushed a hand through his well-coifed hair, "Um…I thought I said 8:30."

She stared at him blankly and not seeing even a hint of recognition, she ambled to her purse and searched for her phone. She didn't hesitate to pull it out and bring up the last text he'd sent, putting the little screen a few inches from his eyes. As he scanned the words, his mouth formed a slight "o" and he smiled sheepishly. "Oh…I'm sorry. I'm late."

"I know." She couldn't fight the grin that overtook her face when she noticed how adorable his apologetic face was. She reached for him and cupped the back of his neck pulling his head down to hers for a sweet languid kiss.

They separated slowly, with his lids remaining closed as she took in what he was wearing. Jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. He'd put more effort into his appearance when he'd shown up unannounced at her place of work. "Um….Austin? I think one of us is inappropriately dressed." She gestured towards her dress and wedges.

"Oh…um, yeah. Is there anyway you can throw on something more casual?" That sheepish smile again. This time it was much less adorable.

Something more casual. _Something more casual. _Sure, Austin. Cause she hadn't spent three hours of her life that she'll never get back chaotically ransacking her entire wardrobe in search of this dress. It wasn't like she'd actually wanted to impress him or anything. And all of the aforementioned clothes were definitely _not _under her bed so that her room appeared to be clean in case they decided that tonight would be a good time to get past second base.

At this rate, she wasn't entirely certain that she would even allow him to steal first.

"Ah…yeah. I can put on something more casual." As she headed towards her bedroom she began chanting her "calm down" mantra. _You are, Ally Dawson. You have the patience of a saint. You were in anger management club. List five things you love. _

_Pickles._ They were the perfect sour additive for any meal.

_Cloud Watching_. Looking up at the sky and seeing such intricate patterns in the white fluff.

_Romance_. She _loved _love. Especially when men showed up to their first dates on time and everything went smoothly…

Yeah, enough of that sedative crap. She whirled in place and tilted her head to the side giving a look that reeked of frustration. "Austin?"

He was texting. He was actually _texting _in the first moments of their first date, "Hmm?" he hummed, lifting his eyes from the screen.

"If you wanted me to dress casual then why didn't you tell me that earlier when I asked you what I should wear?"

His demeanor changed to that of remorse and his shoulders slumped a little, "I'm sorry, Als…I kind of didn't know where I was going to take you until after you'd already asked."

She nodded, "Oh. Okay." Before continuing her journey to her bedroom.

She couldn't help but to internally scoff at the fact that nothing was more confidence boosting than knowing she was only worthy of a last minute date.

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He was wrecking this date, he thought while he sat on her couch waiting for her to finish redressing. He could already tell and they hadn't even left her apartment yet. He'd originally arrived at her doorstep at 7:56 because he was too excited to wait any longer. But once he'd remembered (incorrectly) that they'd planned for 8:30 he took a quick journey to the florist down the street and bought her a bouquet of peonies. Unfortunately, that hadn't made up for the fact that he'd shown up thirty minutes late.

To their first date.

He didn't even try to justify himself to her because he knew the truth sounded impossible and bogus, even in his own mind.

When his eyes had first landed on the petite brunette, his heart had skipped a beat. The rich cobalt dress hugged her curves perfectly with the hem ending just a few inches above her knee, leaving ample room for ogling all night.

Speaking of ample. Her cleavage in that dress.

Someone get him a mirror because he could totally see himself in her pants.

Her hair was falling in the loose curls that she knew he loved (since he had told her during their staycation at Disney), and her makeup looked natural. One of the things he loved most on a woman.

Awkwardly, she was grossly overdressed for what he had planned for the evening.

He had fully intended to go classic with a good ol' fashioned dinner and walk on the beach until he had discussed his plans with Dez. His best friend had responded with "Austin. Dude. No. That's so lame. Girls want adventure. I know, because I am the _love whisperer._"

Since Dez had rarely been flawed in his expertise on women, Austin had promptly changed all plans that he had and decided instead on a zero gravity adventure park.

The kind of adventure park that was not at all suited for a dress.

He let out a huff and sunk sinker into the softness of the cushions. Letting his mind drift into thoughts of how he could redeem himself, he felt the unwelcome disturbance of his phone vibrating in his pocket.

Stealing a glance at her closed bedroom door, he decided to check the interruption. He had a general rule that he didn't text on dates and had only taken his phone out earlier to put it on silent since it had slipped his mind to do so prior to entering her home. Regrettably, he was almost certain that Ally had seen it thus assuming him to be using the small device for entertainment.

It had made him feel like an asshole.

What made him feel even more like an asshole was the text from Dez that read "_I'm at Ally's."_

What? WHAT?

There was no way this was accurate. _It must've been a typo._ Austin thought heartbeat matching his steps as he charged towards her front door as softly as his six-foot frame could manage. _He probably meant to say "I'm sat Wally's"._

He couldn't even persuade himself that it was a plausible explanation.

Whipping the door open he almost choked on his tongue when he saw the redhead grinning broadly before him.

He paused in disbelief and without qualm, wrapped his hand around one of his best friends suspenders forcing him back into the hallway, pulling Ally's door shut behind them.

"Dez!" He proclaimed, throwing his hands out in front of his body with vigor, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Stupid grin never leaving his face, the ginger haired giant pointed at Austin's chest, swirling his finger in a tight circle, "You invited me."

Austin let out a strangled noise.

"And I'm _so _excited." Dez flicked both his wrists flamboyantly. "It feels like years since I've seen Allyson-"

"Ally."

"Not that I got to talk to her too much. But she seemed _so _nice. And now I've started watching her TV show and Allyson-"

"Ally."

"-really carries the cast, ya know? Any who, thanks for inviting me to hang out with you and Allyson."

"Ally."

Dez dropped his brow and lifted his shoulders emitting frustration, "Why do you keep interrupting me?"

"She goes by Ally, Dez. She hates being called, Allyson. Why do you think I invited you to come with us anyway? You can't come! It's our first date!" Austin whisper shouted, pointing furiously between his friend and the apartment which currently held his dating prospect.

"You texted me saying 'What should we do tonight?' I said 'Zero Gravity Adventure Park' you said, 'thanks, now I have to go because I have to be at Ally's at 8:30'." Dez animatedly relayed the earlier conversation using hand placements to form an invisible timeline of the events.

"Dez!" Austin yelled much more audibly this time, shoving against his longtime friend's chest. "Nowhere in that sentence did it sound like I was asking you to come!"

Dez shoved back, "You said 'What should _we_ do tonight?' WE, Austin! You and I!"

"You idiot! I meant me and Ally! You have to leave," he began pushing his redhead friend towards the elevator, "This date is already blowing up in my face and it hasn't even start-"

When they heard the apartment door open they both paused, brought to full attention.

"Austin?" Ally asked gently. She must've heard their voices through the walls. Wearing a sapphire sleeveless button down, and cream-colored skinny jeans her attire remained date adequate but was slightly more easygoing than her previous choice, "Oh. Um…hi, Dez. How are you?"

Austin didn't miss the bewilderment that briefly flared through her eyes. She hid it like a pro though, somehow managing to look genuinely curious about how Dez was doing.

"I'm good, Allyson. How are you? It's so good to see you again!" the redhead practically bum rushed the tiny brunette to wrap his arms around her shoulders. Making eye contact with Austin, she shrugged awkwardly and returned the hug not understanding how this situation was even occurring right now.

Austin ignored the green monster currently being birthed in the pit of his stomach. It was just a hug. And it was just Dez. He didn't need her affections all the time. Who even kept track of the fact that it had been five hours since he'd last given her a _real_ kiss? Not him. That'd be stupid and obsessive. Austin Moon was a sensible levelheaded adult, damnit.

"I'm doing well….and it's good to see you too. Not that I'm not glad you're here but why-"

Screw levelheaded.

Austin interrupted her sentence by grabbing her hand from where it rested on Dez's back and tugging hard, effectively pulling her smack dab into his chest. She let out an _oomph _at the impact and was so disconcerted about what was going on that she didn't even recognize that he had begun kissing the hell out of her.

_The fucking hell out of her. _

Her back arched instinctually in response to him pressing into her. His tongue savagely sought refuge in the warmth of her mouth and she barely managed to pull herself together long enough to grip the front of his shirt in a death hold. When his tongue slid across her bottom lip in a subtle beg for admission, she willingly tore apart her lips to give him what he craved. She was forced to bite back a moan when his arm slid across her hips and pressed her firmly against him. So firmly in fact, that she could feel the effect that this impromptu session was beginning to have on his body. This only further fueled her libido, leading her to drag her nails down the front of his shirt and rest her fingers in the loose waistband of his jeans. Somewhere in a deep, dank, crevice of her mind, she knew that this shouldn't be occurring in the middle of her apartment hallway where anyone could potentially walk out and share their eye witness testimony with TMZ, but it wasn't until Dez cleared his throat that she regrettably pulled away from the human aphrodisiac.

Well actually it was Dez yelling Austin's name that had pulled her from her daze but she was positive that he'd cleared his throat at some point.

She didn't know what exactly she was feeling as her eyes intensely roamed her date's face. That kiss had felt…more. Than what? She didn't know. It was just more. It had left her altogether prepared to call this whole dog and pony show off and lug him back to her bedroom for even _more _of the more that had just happened. In fact, she had no idea why she wasn't doing just that.

"You guys are too cute."

Oh. That's why.

Raising an eyebrow at Austin, she broke free from his arms to turn towards Dez. She smirked arrogantly at the exaggerated sigh the blonde let out when she left his warmth. "Thanks, Dez. But what are you doing at my apartment?"

"Oh! Austin invited me to your date!" The redhead responded enthusiastically.

She was going to kill him. In theory there was probably a perfectly good explanation as to why Austin would've invited a third party to their first date. After the tardiness and clothing mishap though, this explanation was not something Ally was willing to listen to. "Oh, did he?"

Austin knew he was in trouble. The look that the small actress was currently giving him was the same look that his mother had given him in second grade when his teacher had told her that Austin pulled the hair of the girl that sat in front of him. It was the look that said, "Yes, I'm smiling on my face but not in my heart."

"Actually, it was all a huge mix up and Dez was just leaving." Austin chuckled nervously, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck, which was a long established nervous tick, "Weren't ya, Dez?"

Dez looked back and forth between the somewhat couple before a light bulb almost literally went off above his head. "Oh I get it." He said smugly. "You," he pointed his fingers at Austin and Ally, "want me," back at himself, "to pretend like I don't want to go so that you two can just get on with your date and leave me to watch Netflix and live twit my shows on Tweeter, alone in my hotel room binge eating cold ham for the third night in a row." His face dropped in realization.

"Dez, buddy. You know it's not that. It's just-" Austin reached out to begin to console his friend.

Dez threw up his hand dramatically, "No, no. I get it. I'll be okay…See you guys later. Have fun." He turned to walk towards the elevator.

"Thanks, Dez!" Austin shrugged and looked down at Ally, immediately alarmed by what he was met with.

She had that look.

That doe eyed, please don't be mad, I'm about to be a good person, look.

He shook his head at her.

She nodded.

"No!" he mouthed.

"Yes!" she screamed silently. "Dez!" This time her voice rang out audibly through the hall.

The tall man abruptly turned back towards them, "Yeah?" Oh, he knew what was coming. He was fighting back the beam that was threatening to overtake his face like he was Darth freaking Vader.

"We would love for you to come with us." Ally reached for Austin's hand as she said the words, squeezing in reassurance.

"Great!" Dez came bounding back like a puppy, pulling the keys from Austin's pocket and sprinting back towards the elevator. "Last one down is a rotten egg!"

Ally blinked after him. What had she gotten herself into?


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Oh no, here we go. **

**Thank you all so much for the unending support and reviews. I may not have time to respond to everyone but I truly do appreciate it, so so much. Your reviews motivate me to keep this story going.**

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**Twitter: kfizzlewizzle**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally**

Austin Moon was a one million percent, certified, moron.

And that was an understatement.

He'd told her that they were going to some sort of adventure park.

That sounded fun. Like really, how bad could an adventure park be?

What he'd failed to mention was that it was a terrifying, abysmal, trauma inducing, death trap.

When he'd first pulled his rental car up to the "adventure park", she was horrified to see that people were literally flying all over the place. Over the low, linked fence it was obvious to see that people were swinging on bungees, being shot up into the air in some sort of rubber band ball thing, and one guy was literally free falling through the air.

_Free-fucking-falling. _

"Are you excited?!" Austin asked her enthusiastically after paying for their admission to the park, with Dez tagging along behind them like a loyal puppy. The place felt very similar to a carnival. It was set on an empty field of dying grass with the miscellaneous attractions appearing as though they could be taken down and reassembled at the owner's whim.

Really comforting. What more could a girl even ask for?

"Yeah….I, um…I can't wait." She said forcing a smile as best as she could. You know how in the Divergent books in order to be a Dauntless Tris had to take a leap of faith off that one building into an unknown void that she obviously didn't want to jump into but she had to or else she'd be kicked out of Dauntless and left without a faction?

Ally was Tris. The Dauntless was Austin. And this park was her leap of faith.

But at this point she was starting to wonder how bad it could possibly be to be factionless.

She drastically hated heights. As many people do. So many people, in fact, that she'd think that before planning a date that was very heights-centric, one would stop and ask oneself, "Should I ask the woman I'm taking on this date if she's afraid of heights?"

To which the answer is and will always be, yes.

Yes, you ask the woman that you are taking to an anti-gravity park whether or not she is afraid of heights. Always. No exceptions. Even if you think you know, you don't. So ask.

When they began walking towards the first attraction that Austin and Dez were restless to try, she felt her palms start to sweat profusely. The contraption was called the Sky Coaster and pretty much consisted of having the three of them be strapped together in harnesses and attached to a very thin, unstable looking cable. To make matters all the better, they would then be lifted 110 feet in the air and pulled back like a slingshot, before being released into the air like a paperclip falling from an airplane.

Say she was over exaggerating her similes all you want, but you've obviously never been faced with such a horrifying undertaking.

As they neared the ride (if you could even call it that), she seriously began to wonder if this was something she could even make herself go through with. She liked Austin. A lot, if she was being honest. But would she be willing to risk her life in order for him to have a few shits and giggles?

Decidedly not.

She slowed, falling behind the two men as they entered the line. The park was scarcely packed. Understandably, since no one voluntarily waltzed into their own demise. The lack of patrons though, meant that they were only a measly two rides away from strapping in.

"Ally, sweetheart. Are you okay?" Oh, she missed that. She missed that a lot. This date had been going so terribly wrong up to this point that she had somewhat forgotten that they'd already had a semi-established relationship. Justly so, she should be able to tell him that she doesn't want to do this, right?

She took Austin's hand, pulling him a few steps away from where Dez was intently focused on the slingshot. She felt her heart launching into a restless pound from the sensation that his rough calluses, formed from years with his guitar she was certain, had against her smooth fingertips. She wanted to feel those hands elsewhere. Everywhere.

"What's going on? What's wrong?" He took hold of her free palm so that both of their hands were now interlaced, and bent at the knees allowing his gaze to meet hers. His eyes were full of so much compassion that she could practically feel her skin falling off of her in droplets as she melted. She didn't _want_ to tell him that this was one of the worst dates she'd ever been on and that there was no way in hell that she was strapping herself into that thing. What she did want to tell him was how his voice sent shivers down her spine or how looking at him gave her the inexplicable urge to pull her panties off and throw them at him.

"Austin," God, was she a terrible person or what? "I just…don't think I can do this." She looked down at their joint hands so that she wouldn't have to be faced with the disappointment that was sure to be on his face.

Disappointment that she had apparently incorrectly predicted judging by the grin that took over instead, "Oh don't worry, Als. You can totally ride it. I already checked the height requirements!"

Ugh why was he so fucking cute? Only he would be naïve enough to think that she wouldn't be tall enough to ride. She should be offended by his blatant disrespect of her vertical challenge, but instead she was feeling torn between wanting to pinch his cheeks and mounting him right here to ride him like a prized bull.

Her eyes widened as that thought crossed her mind. _Ally Marie, keep your legs closed, you hussie. _

"No, Austin. It's not that…" She bit her bottom lip, and the sight of the ivory of her teeth, lightly imprinting onto the pink softness drove him crazy, "I'm afraid of heights."

Her heart clenched in her chest when the enthusiasm instantly fell from his face. She felt like a huge failure. Her only job all night was to ride the stupid thing and she couldn't even put her big girl pants on long enough to do that. She'd personally ruined what might have still been salvageable of this date. "I'm so sorry, Austin…"

His eyes shot up to hers, "What? Why are you sorry? You have no reason to be."

"Guys! Come on! It's our turn!" The redhead was frantically beckoning the two of them back to the line so that they could start putting on the harnesses.

"Dez, not now!" Austin yelled. Ally felt bad that the blonde was taking his frustration out on his best friend but at the same time, Dez had been somewhat of an inconvenience thus far this evening so she didn't have _too _much sympathy. Dez just rolled his eyes and turned back to the ride operator.

Ally resumed their previous conversation, "Because you really wanted to ride this…I can just call Trish to come get me. Or…or take a taxi home. I don't want you to miss out because of me. Ride it with Dez. Really. I want you to. Or I can just stay here and watch. Yeah, I'll do that." She was rambling. She knew she was, but she couldn't control the word vomit flowing from her mouth.

Austin disagreed with rigor, "Ally, no! I'm the one who messed up. I can't believe I took you here and didn't even ask if you wanted to do this. I was going to take you to dinner and a nice walk on the beach, but this idiot," he pointed over to Dez who had already began strapping in, "told me that would be too lame."

She lightly shook her head, dazzled at the man before her. So nervous was he about this date that he hadn't even trusted his own instincts, which would have most likely been absolutely wonderful. Of course she would change pretty much everything about this date up to this point, but it pleased her to know that he cared enough to hunt for a second opinion about his original proposal. Tenderly framing his cheeks with her hands, letting her pinkies lightly rub the sensitive spot below his ear, she confirmed that his original date idea would've had the desired effect. "Austin, I love the beach." She said softly. She thought another moment before adding, "And I love to eat."

He let out a light laugh and placed his hands on her waist gripping the material of her shirt loosely in his fingertips. "I'm sorry, Al. I really fucked this up." Bringing his forehead down he rested it against hers, leaving their mouths just a breath apart. "I wanted this to be memorable. And perfect." He whispered.

She sighed contentedly. She loved being this close to him. Even if they were only talking, it still felt so intimate. Her left hand slid from his face down to his shoulder, softly kneading the muscle as she spoke, "It was definitely memorable. And don't worry. You'll have plenty of chances to give me the perfect date." There was a peculiar gleam in her eyes.

He finally closed the space between them, kissing her lips lazily. "I can't wait to start trying."

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It was time for the decision.

They stood together, having parted with Dez a few minutes ago.

So it was just the two of them.

Alone.

Outside of her apartment.

Earlier, once they'd both determined that this date hadn't gone at all how either of them had expected it too, she had managed to convince him to ride all the rides with Dez while she'd cheered them on from the ground.

Which was actually a lot more entertaining than it sounded.

The men were wimps. They'd screamed bloody murder like women giving birth without epidurals. And she'd gotten every second on camera. Which meant plenty of blackmail for any and all future occasions where it's needed.

"So….should I tell you how much fun I had tonight?" Ally chuckled nervously, uncharacteristically fiddling her fingers around each other. She really didn't know how to handle this situation. She didn't want to be _that girl _who put out on the first date. But at the same time, she'd already been on a handful of semi-dates with this man. And he had really been trying her patience in terms of her sexual frustration.

He smirked, his mouth lifting on one side only. He could practically see the internal struggle she was having about whether or not to invite him in. God knew he wanted to come in. He was emotionally exhausted from constantly trying to keep his body in check around her. She was the ultimate temptress with no intention to be. Her innocent doe eyes paired with her always on point attire, and flirty demeanor were wreaking havoc on his system.

"Only if this is when I'm supposed to tell you that I'll call you tomorrow." His traitorous hands once again sought solace on her waist, and he drew her body against his. This had brought them so tightly pressed into one another that she had to lean back in order to look up at him.

Her deft fingers began to play with the fabric along the V of his sweater, focusing intently on a strand that was coming loose. "Well, are you?"

"Am I what?" he inquired, letting his fingers lock on the small of her back. There were so many layers to his relationship with her. The fact that they'd only just openly admitted to having feelings for each other. Him having to go back to New York in just a few short weeks to return to work, while she stayed in LA. Having to face whatever music the paparazzi that'd snapped pictures of them at the adventure park were going to compose in tomorrows headlines. But despite all those things, he wanted everything from this woman. Austin Moon, playboy, was entirely ready to settle down. And he didn't mind if the whole world knew it.

"Going to call me." She sounded vulnerable as she brought those big doe eyes back up to him. She understood that she knew him better than most people, however no matter how many hours she spent talking to him and being with him, she didn't know if she'd ever be able to let go of the fear that comes with committing herself to a former Casanova.

He didn't know if she was being serious or not. Either way he was going to reassure her. He brought a finger to her chin and implored her to look up at his face, locking in on her amber orbs, "Always."

The sincerity that rang through his voice put her nerves at ease instantly. Doubting him wasn't something that she was proud of or even had any control over, but he seemed to understand her dilemma and was doing everything within his power to solve it as best as he could. And for that she fell for him even harder.

Elongating her back and pushing herself onto her toes, she surged forward practically falling onto his lips. Her arms snaked around his shoulders and she couldn't stop her fingers from burying themselves in the fine hair that ended where the smooth expanse of his neck begin.

His response was instantaneous. He frantically increased the intensity of the kiss from soft and sweet, to scorching and desperate. Torso straightening, his arms tightened around her midriff, lifting so that he stood straight and she hovered a good six inches off the ground. She was utterly obsessed with the ease in which he could manhandle her and was breathless to see how that would crossover into their sex life.

So what if she wasn't as innocent as she sometimes let off.

When the blonde ran his tongue across Ally's full bottom lip, the sensation sent a jolt up her spine and she immediately opened her mouth to grant him access. Their tongues and teeth were clashing in an erotic dance that neither of them had yet tired of, causing her stomach to feel like she had taken a shot of lighter fluid and then swallowed a lit match, erupting a fervent blaze. Needing more, she used what minimal strength she had in her biceps to force herself higher into him. Her upper arms now rested on his shoulders, supporting her weight with more than a little assistance from the muscular man below her. With her arms bent, she was able to drag her nails through his rugged hair and he growled in response to her ministrations.

When Austin unexpectedly sucked her tongue between his teeth, Ally let out a high pitched moan and urged her breasts into his chest. She needed _more._

She needed _him. _

Abruptly, she broke their kiss and pulled away from him, squirming until her feet were back on the ground. They stared at each other with swollen lips and lustful eyes, chests rising and falling at a pace that seemed almost unhealthy.

She paused for a moment, biting her lip. Untangling herself the rest of the way from his arms, she turned towards her door, and unlocked it. Pushing it open, she stepped back holding out a hand. A wordless invitation for him to enter.

The air between them instantly changed.

Austin flashed his teeth in a grin that overtook his entire face, scooping down to grab her thighs right below her ass. Using brute force he lifted her effortlessly and she instinctually wrapped her legs around his waist, authorizing him to begin charging towards her bedroom. Laughing hysterically at his antics, she flailed an arm out somehow managing to get her front door closed despite his best efforts to cart her away straight into her bed.

Ally had no idea what would be going on between she and Austin Moon in the morning.

But tonight he was hers.

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Finally arriving at his ultimate destination, Austin practically threw her onto the bed. She landed roughly, bouncing a few times from the inertia before settling down and propping herself up on her elbows. Taking note of her current position she was promptly assaulted with flashbacks of their trip to Disneyland and how they'd almost slept together the night of their first kiss. As he stood at the foot of her bed, he sent her a seductive smile and reached for the hem of his shirt, leading her to begin questioning her decision to not follow him back to his room that night after Trish had left.

He so would've made it worth her while.

Noticing that he was about to start undressing himself she quickly sat up and slid to the edge of her bed so that her feet rested on the ground as she faced him. Subtly slipping out of her flats, she placed her hands over his to stop his movements. She'd been waiting far too long for this moment to not be the one to rip his clothes off. Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she raked her eyes over his body and up to his face, where she was met with dark, amorous eyes full of raw desire.

Her blood was boiling.

Looking down at her sent a shock of heat straight to his dick. Her chestnut curls were tousled around her face and her lips were red and bruised from their frantic kisses. Gazing up at him from thick lashes, her doe eyes were glazed and daring, promising of a very satisfying night ahead.

"Let me." Her voice was huskier than he'd ever heard it before, thick with the arousal that was coursing through her veins.

He nodded and she began her assault.

As her fingers gripped the bottom of his shirt, he was drawn to stand between her legs like a magnet. The cocky smirk on her face that this action had elicited was completely justified, because the response his body was having to her was probably more than she'd ever imagine it to be. When he felt the softness of her lips trailing kisses along his waistband, he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to stand without some kind of support.

She'd felt his knees wobble when she'd kissed his hipbone and it surprised her since she hadn't done it intentionally to entice him. But as soon as she'd lifted the dark fabric of his shirt to begin its journey upwards, she decided that there was no way in hell she wasn't going to take full advantage of the delicious looking skin that was begging to be tasted. With each new inch of chiseled ab exposed, her tongue traced smooth patterns along his skin. Reaching his chest, she stood to continue her onslaught and she could taste the saltiness of the sweat that was beginning to pool on his surface.

She didn't blame him one bit. It was getting _so, so hot_ in here.

Finally managing to get the shirt over his head, she held it out to the side with one hand and dropped it meaningfully on the floor, not breaking eye contact with him. They both understood that it meant there was no turning back at this point. No one could pull out.

Theoretically or literally.

Not that she'd ever want him to. She wanted to feel _everything. _

He was very proud of the restraint that he'd displayed during her disrobing presentation. Feeling the cool remnants of her kisses drying on his skin, he'd had to clutch his fists tightly to not throw her onto the bed and take her then and there.

But now it was his turn. And he wasn't in the mood for the gradual, torturous shit.

He wanted her now.

Her fingers had relocated to the button on his jeans and she was working diligently to get it open. Blood pounding through her veins, she was practically aching to have him inside of her.

Apparently though, if he had his way she wouldn't be waiting too long.

Looking down, she noticed that his fingers had wormed their way into the gaps between the buttons of her blouse. She knew what was coming. She really needed it not to. She _loved _this shirt. "Austin, don't-"

Too late. "Oops."

Little pearls flew through the room. With one hard tug, he had managed to burst open all of the fasteners on her shirt and left her standing there with her lacy white bra exposed.

She would've been pissed had it not been so _fucking _hot.

Understanding the frenzied urge behind his actions, she too stepped up her pace, finally getting that damn button undone and pushing his jeans down his legs. His erection was clearly visible through the outline of his black briefs and she felt herself blush all the way down her chest. She couldn't wait.

Apparently he had caught her staring because his brow was raised arrogantly.

"Oh, don't be so smug, asshole." He totally deserved to be smug.

Grinning at her, he finally took charge in that way that always made her panties soaked.

Stepping easily out of his pants legs, he began work on her jeans, altering her center of balance so that she was forced to grip his biceps to keep from falling, which she was not at all complaining about. Getting the jeans undone, he bent forward pulling them down her thighs and she was left with nothing to stabilize her. She felt it coming before it happened.

Yelping, her body fell backwards onto the bed. Without breaking stride, he pulled the pants the rest of the way down her legs and added them to the growing pile on the ground, leaving her in only her matching lingerie set.

Seeing the beautiful smooth expanse of skin in front of him, Austin's breath caught. He covered her body with his own propping himself up on his elbows and held a finger to Ally's chest when she tried to reach up for a kiss. He slowly traced the finger down a toned, pale stomach and upon reaching the waistband of her panties, pulled them down her legs. Trailing hot kisses back up her body he took special care to stray off course strictly so he could send a shot of cool air into her core, causing her to arch off the bed. Ally's heart twisted once again and the blush that was already running up her chest only intensified as the blonde inspected every inch of her visible flesh. Not wanting him to hold all the power, she stretched up and kissed his collarbone, "You're turn…"

Without preamble she flipped them over, so that she was the one in control. Her nails ran down the center of his chest and she softly nibbled at his pulse point before letting her tongue slide across the gently bruised skin, smiling at the moan that's emitted directly by her ear. It's hard for her to believe that a week ago, she wasn't able to do this whenever she wanted, when now it's as though she never wanted to stop. She shivered at the surreal thought of being addicted to Austin and used her teeth to tug on a pale ear before softly drawling, "You can have me anyway you want..."

This seemed to light a fire under Austin's ass. He sat up suddenly, causing her to squeal in surprise. Unclasping her bra, he roughly took hold of her and grabbed the back of her thighs, flipping her around while simultaneously sliding them to the edge of the bed and planting his feet on the floor.

_Oh. This was new._

She was sat on his lap, but facing away from him. The only thing she could grip to support her body where his muscular thighs that were jutting out from between her legs. Naked on top of him and feeling his hot breath against her neck she felt vulnerable and exposed.

And so fucking wet.

The sleek fabric of the underwear that he'd yet to take off rubbed delectably against her clit and she tried her hardest not to rock her hips.

Her efforts were useless.

Austin was about to cum before he'd even gotten naked. From his vantage point, he had the perfect view of her naked ass. Currently she was using his thighs as leverage to grind against him, throwing her head back and causing her rich locks to brush against his chest. It was almost too much for him to handle.

"Stand up, Ally." She paused and looked back over her shoulder, wondering where he was going with this. She remained sitting.

"Now."

_Mmm, God yes. _She felt herself blush as the masochist in her quite enjoyed being told what to do by the man who was about to make her cum. Obligingly, she stood over him.

She felt more than saw the tide of wetness that she left in his lap.

He groaned when he felt the flood that she'd created in his lap. Losing every ounce of discipline he'd ever had, he shoved his briefs down and yanked her back to her previous position.

Groaning at the new feel of his hardened dick under her, Ally licked her lips and wiggled her ass a little. When she began to slide against the appendage, the blonde gripped her hips firmly and slammed into her from behind. The brunette yelled out ferociously, throwing her head back and clenching the thighs below her as Austin continues to slap their hips together at an unrelenting pace.

As Ally let out wanton whimpers every time he thrust into her, Austin felt himself growing close through labored breaths. He leaned towards his lover so that his chest was pressed against the back in front of him. His arm snaked around her slim waist and found the brunette's clit, which caused her to pant even harder and whimper in pleasure.

"Austin…baby…fuck…harder! I-I'm so…clo-O!"

Just then Austin flicked her clit with his thumb, sending her reeling over the edge and her orgasm hit her in unyielding surges. Moaning gutturally she reached behind her and buried her hand in choppy blonde locks, appreciative off the fact that he continued to fuck her as she rode out her waves.

Austin followed soon after. Between hearing her beg him to go harder and the carnal sensuality of her pulling his hair, he was already done for. But when she came and her walls milked his dick erratically, he couldn't hold back any longer and bit into her shoulder as he climaxed.

Feeling him pulse inside of her as he released was too much for her to take now that she was overtly sensitive and she quickly lost yet another battle with pleasure.

They both panted audibly for at least a minute, not saying anything, until Austin wrapped his arms around her and laid back on the bed, taking her with him.

He could quickly come to love the feel of her soft skin against him, especially when she threw her leg over his thighs and snuggled into his chest, leaving her hair to tickle the arm that was wrapped around her shoulders.

"Holy shit." Even for a so-called player, he had never had a lay quite like that.

She laughed breathlessly, clutching his shoulder and seeking more of his warmth, "I feel so thoroughly fucked."

This brought a full laugh from the back of his throat since he wasn't used to women and most especially _her _being so vulgarly blunt. He kind of got a kick out of it. He opened his eyes widely as he was hit with a startling realization.

He was falling in love with Ally Dawson.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I have no excuses. None. Kay enjoy.**

**Twitter: KFizzleWizzle**

**Check my bio for the Polyvore that has all the outfits from this chapter.**

His head was spinning as he added chopped bacon to the egg scramble he was currently working on in her kitchen. After everything that had happened last night, (and _everything_ _had happened, _some things multiple times) he had no idea where his thoughts currently lay in regards to her.

Was it unreasonable of him to be willing to give her his heart, mind, and soul this early into their relationship? If it even was a relationship. Sure, they'd talked about exclusivity while they were dating but since they'd only gone on one date before tumbling into the sack with each other, this was next level stuff. Were they a couple? Just lovers? Was he recessing to a 16 year old girl?

_Cool your tits, Moon. She's just a girl. You know how to do girls. Too easy._

But that was the problem, you see. She wasn't just a girl. She was easily the most entertaining, down to earth, sarcastic, compassionate, and gorgeous girl that he'd ever met. And it scared him shitless.

Most alarming about all of this, was that he couldn't ever remember feeling this much for Cassidy.

When he'd proposed to her just a few short years ago, he was _certain _that he'd never again reach the same caliber of feeling that he had for her with anyone else. He wasn't so much a womanizer growing up per se, but it certainly hadn't been difficult for him to get ladies. Therefore he never put the time or effort into developing feelings.

Until Cassidy.

She had charged into his life like a bull into a rodeo and he'd been hooked almost immediately.

Still though, their courtship had occurred slowly and steadily over a three year period before he'd even _considered_ making their arrangement permanent.

On the other side of the coin, he'd known Ally for only a few months and had already entertained the thought of shackling himself to her for life too many times for him to be comfortable with.

Speaking of the actress, he glanced at the clock above the stove and noticed it was already 10:30 and she'd yet to get up. His lips curled into a smirk, hand maneuvering the spatula as he continued to work on breakfast.

He'd worn her out real good last night.

Like clockwork, he heard the creak of her mattress and assumed it stemmed from her getting out of bed. He hoped to God that she could smell the meal that he was currently preparing, because if not she'd be pissed when she read the quickly scribbled note that he had left on his side of the bed.

The note that read:

_Ally,_

_ Thanks for the good time._

_ Austin_

Because, you know, he had a reputation to protect.

He heard her coming before he saw her. Rich laughter lilted through the open space as she rounded the corner, clutching the white sheet that had incited the fit.

"Thanks for the good time, huh? Aren't you the regular Romeo?" His eyes were drawn immediately to the milky smooth limbs protruding from underneath the large shirt that was covering her upper body.

_His _large shirt.

On _her _small body.

"Just wanted to show my gratitude." He threw at her with a well-practiced wink. "Why does that shirt look better on you than it does on me?"

She paused a few feet away from him to glance down questioningly at her attire. The sleeves were so long that her hands were buried four inches deep under the material, even with her arms fully extended. Dark cotton skimmed the top of her thighs, with the hem of the shirt hanging so low that her knees were practically a hairsbreadth away from being concealed. She laughed at her hobo like appearance, "Whatever. You're just saying that 'cause I put out for you."

Walking the rest of the way to the stovetop, she forced herself as tall as she could and pressed her mouth to his cheekbone. Fascinated by the light prickling sensation that his morning stubble created against her sensitive lips, she moved the feather light kisses down his jawline. Continuing her assault, she let her small hand take grasp of his shoulder before suavely snaking it around his neck. When he felt her nails delicately running along his scalp, he groaned.

He had no idea that a simple kiss on the cheek could turn him on so much.

Dropping the spatula on the counter, he turned to face her and caught her lips just as they were working their way down to his exposed shoulder. If the gasp she let out was any indication, the sudden assault had taken her by surprise. Rough hands took hold of the recognizable curve of her hips, using her shirt as an anchor to draw their bodies closer. As he used his tongue to pry her mouth open, fingers that had just moments ago been gentle on his head turned into iron vices. He felt his head slightly tugged back by the handful of hair that was trapped in her hold and it sent his blood rushing south.

He was thrown off guard when she pulled away abruptly. Her eyes glinted with devilry as she breathed, "Your food is burning."

Left sputtering as she hopped gracefully onto the island in the center of the kitchen and crossed her legs, he briskly flipped the stove setting to off and moved the pan to a different burner in an attempt to salvage what he could of the meal. "That was mean. Especially after what I did for you last night."

She smirked, and raised her eyebrows, "Don't act like you took one for the team. You're quite the screamer, Austin Monica Moon." She reached left, to the drawer under the counter for forks.

"You're no monk yourself, honey." He found the plates, with some gesturing assistance, from her and began to pile the food onto it.

Reaching out to take her plate from him, she shrugged nonchalantly, "Sorry, I'm not sorry."

He jumped up on the countertop next to her (well more of a shimmy up because of his height), leaving his legs dangling just as she was pulling her own up to sit Indian Style, facing him.

"You didn't have to cook, you know? I don't need you to be some rom-com cliché…" She spoke around a mouthful of scramble, "But _oh my god, _this is so good, babe."

He paused mid bite. Fork bouncing in his fingers like a springboard.

Noticing his frozen motion, she stopped chewing and looked at him with eyes full of worry. "Hey. You okay?"

"You called me, babe." He was grinning like the damn Cheshire Cat.

She dropped her fork suddenly, straightened her back, and placed her plate on the counter. "Oh my God. I did. Hold on. Let me go grab your baby book so I can write it down." She joked, preparing to jump off the island.

He grabbed her wrist and stuck his tongue out, urging her back towards her food. "Shut up, smart ass. It was the first time you petnamed me."

Returning to the bomb ass food that she had previously been inhaling, she gave him a weird look while she chewed. "I would ask if you're turning into a desperate housewife but since I had your penis inside of me last night, I know that can't be it."

His shoulders sagged as he went back to eating, mumbling under his breath. "Sorry, I just think it's cool."

Wide eyes took over her face as realization dawned on her, and again she put her plate down. Dropping her head so that he'd look into her eyes, she gently pulled the entrée from his hand to place it down as well.

His arms immediately slid around her as she slid towards him and lifted herself, placing a leg on either side of his thighs. Having her straddle him in the middle of the kitchen brought back some very stimulating memories from 12 hours ago but he tried to brush that aside and focus on what she was trying to say to him.

He felt her put her index finger under his chin, forcing his head up. The large, chocolate eyes that bore into him were brimming with admiration, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"Austin….you're a secret romantic, aren't you?" The genuine smile that she was sporting could be heard in her soft voice.

Tempted by the caramel waves falling across her shoulder, he gave in and let his fingers sift through the soft strands, "A romantic, yes. Secret, no. Anyone who knows me will tell you that my favorite movie is the Notebook."

She pulled back in shock, "Wait, are you serious?"

Solemnly, he nodded.

She tried to hold it in. She really, _really _did.

But just like any volcano, her eruptions were completely out of her control.

His eyebrow quirked at her obnoxious (adorable) laughter. "It's a classic. Shut your mouth."

Through her guffawing (she was literally clutching her stomach and had dropped her head to his chest in response to her hacking breaths) she managed to get out a "Make me."

He was certain she hadn't truly realized what she had just requested he do. So of course, he'd have to bring it to her attention.

Abruptly, he buried his hands in her hair and brought her lips to his. Her laughter died in her throat and the sound of pleasure that escaped her only further fueled his actions, as he forced his tongue between her teeth in a desperate attempt to find hers. The taut muscle beneath his skin contracted when her nails scratched down his abs roughly, leaving angry red marks in their wake.

Pulling her shirt up to her waist and finding her all natural beneath, he couldn't help but to think of how under normal circumstances things wouldn't be escalating nearly this quickly, however as he felt the boner forming in his briefs, he knew that this was no normal circumstance.

Because they were on her kitchen island.

And he was about to fuck her.

On her kitchen island.

He moved his ministrations down to her neck where he had every intention to leave a love bruise that told the world she was taken. Tilting her head obligingly, her hips rocked along the length of him, leaving a trail of wetness along the breathable material.

So breathable, in fact, that he could feel her wetness beginning to seep onto his cock.

He'd never been so hard.

Except for all night last night.

Reaching for the waistband of his briefs, a surge of excitement tore through him when he felt her small hand cover his.

_Oh right. She likes to be the one who gets me naked._

When she ripped her lips away though, it dawned on him that he was completely and utterly _wrong_.

"Let's go to the bedroom," She murmured into the thick air between them, taking hold of his hand and starting the descent off of his lap.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist, halting her movements. "No. I want you out here." His lips curled around her earlobe, tugging gently. Last night he'd learned that this was one of his tricks that had the strongest effect on her body.

Back arching like a cat in heat, she dug deep to find enough coherence to respond, "Austin…my bedroom…please…p-people…mmm yes….eat out…"

At this he perked up, taking a break in his teasing. With a wide smile he asked, "You want me to eat you out?"

She smacked his chest, having finally gained enough composure to be brought back down to Earth. "People eat out _here, _Austin. They _eat out here."_

He rolled his eyes, hauling her back to her earlier position, "I'll bleach it for you later."

Flat palms against his chest stopped his advances. "No. We aren't doing it out here." The look in her eyes said that she wasn't budging on this and so he sighed in defeat.

"Fine." He conceded, pulling her shirt back down to protect her modesty. Cause he was a true gentleman. "But when we go to the Golden Globes I'm going to get you drunk, and then you'll be more than happy to do it on any surface."

She didn't laugh, causing him to think that his wisecrack hadn't been funny, until he noticed how rigid her body now was. Wide eyes looked at him with something akin to…regret.

"Ally, what's wrong? Did I say something? I was just joking. I'm not really going to get you drunk. Unless…like…you want me to." He backtracked furiously trying to reverse whatever had caused that reaction from her.

"No, Austin. You're fine…" Oh no. Not only had she used the elusive "f word" but she was now getting down from his lap. He didn't know what to do while she gathered their plates to take them to the sink.

So he just sat there.

"Ally…" He imitated her actions, sliding off the counter and meeting her at the sink. Her fists were white knuckling one of the dishes as she scrubbed vehemently, mouth set in a tight line. Not sure of whether or not she wanted to be touched, he reached a hand towards her before letting it fall back to his side. "What did I do?"

Lashes fluttered close and she inhaled deeply, laying the ceramic china down so gently that it almost seemed forced. As though it was taking everything within her to keep from throwing it. Resting one hand on the edge of the sink she turned towards him, fisting her free hand and letting it rest on her hip. "Nothing, Austin. You didn't do anything. Promise. It's just that…"

A pregnant pause filled the room and she took a deep breath.

"I can't go to the Golden Globes with you."

A sigh of relief floated out from him, "Oh, that's all? It's cool. We can go to the Emmy's together. And then awards season will be over! Yay!" He fake laughed maniacally and reached for her waist. "What do you have going on that conflicts with the show?"

A slender hand deterred his effort for what seemed like the millionth time this morning.

"It's not that I can't go to the Golden Globes, Austin." The corner of a pink lip was tucked between pearly white teeth before she pushed on. This was going to be rough. "It's that I can't go with _you." _

Confused eyes blinked rapidly.

"Okay…" he drew out, taking a step back. Contoured muscles flexed when he crossed his arms, and she tried not to get distracted by them. "Why can't you go to the Golden Globes with me?"

Outwardly calm, cool, and collected he was having an anxiety attack on the inside. He heard the overbearing grumbling of thunder but then realized it was just his heart pounding against his ribcage. Was this about his notoriety? He was annoyingly aware of the misconceptions and concerns she had about his faithfulness. Somehow though, he'd fooled himself into thinking that all of that would dissipate once they'd established themselves as a duo.

_But then again, we haven't yet established ourselves, have we?_

"I um…" Slender fingers distractedly combed through her hair, "Well…When I walk the carpet….ugh damnit!"

Her arms were thrown down to her side in frustration and she straightened to her full height, composing herself in a matter of seconds. "I'm going with Dallas." She calmly spoke.

Thin green veins were beginning to become more pronounced along his arms. "Dallas?" The slow drawl of his voice probably would have made her wet if it wasn't for the serious nature of this conversation.

Ah, who was she kidding? It still made her wet.

Cautiously she started towards him to explain, but having none of it he turned on his heel and started towards her bedroom. The patter of her light footsteps following him echoed through the tall hallway.

"Austin, I have to! We're nominated and the network has been planning on us walking the carpet together since before the show even premiered!"

Snatching his jeans from the ground he straightened, looking her in the eye, "And Elliot?"

She flinched. To be quite honest she was hoping that he would've forgotten about Elliot but that would've been too easy. Reaching down to pick at an imaginary piece of lint along the hem of her shirt, she whispers. "He'll be with his girlfriend."

The laugh that left his lips was anything but genuine, but rather it was cold and disheartened. "Oh so Elliot can walk with his girlfriend but you can't walk with your boyfriend?" He'd returned to picking up his scattered clothing.

Her head shot up as quickly as it would if she was witnessing the second coming of Jesus. "M-My boyfriend?"

She could've slapped herself in the face for stuttering. Or even asking about him being her boyfriend. Did people her age still even use the term boyfriend? It seemed so….juvenile. Lover sounded more appropriate.

Except that word bummed her out unless it was between meat and pizza.

She truly was a simple gal.

"Oh right." He scoffed, "Why would America's newest darling Allyson Dawson ever be dating the unholy Satan incarnate that I am?" Where the fuck was his other shoe?

"No, Austin! That's not what I meant! We just haven't talked about-" She rushed towards him but froze midstep when she saw his eyes.

They looked…dead.

The usually bright, and impish gleam he'd reserved for her had been replaced by a cold and lifeless stare.

Her throat constricted painfully. How had this taken such a sharp turn for the worst?

Pulling his white undershirt over his head, he picked up his wallet, keys, and phone from the nightstand. "I had a good time. I'll see you."

And then he walked out. Leaving her with little more than a t-shirt saturated with his lingering scent.

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This awards show was much different than the last.

At the Peoples Choice he'd been floating high, finally seeing her again after what seemed like an infinity apart. They'd texted and flirted and the next day they'd truly started the journey to where they were now.

Tonight, he hadn't slept in 24 hours and had collected a combined total of 13 ignored calls, voicemails and texts from _her_.

_Her, _who was currently posing next to Dallas fucking Centineo thirty feet away, looking fucking delectable in a gown that looked like it had been molded to her skin.

And it was lace. _All over. _

His face showed no sign of reaction, even though his dick was twitching uncontrollably in the tight restraints of his briefs.

He hadn't been inside of her in 32 hours.

It felt like a lifetime.

Looking back on the situation, he was 120% aware of the fact that he'd slightly overreacted, and had it been anyone but Dallas he would've understood. But there was an unspoken tension between the two men. Tension that revolved around _her_.

And who would be the one to claim her.

Not that she was a prize to be claimed, as she would say.

But in his mind, he was down by two points, three yards away from the in-zone and Dallas had possession.

And he was about to go for the Hail Mary.

Walking towards her, much like he had last time, he perceived the exact moment that she saw him from the corner of her eye. Her back straightened almost imperceptibly and her lips turned down into a subtle frown. She was discreetly sending him the message that he wasn't welcome to intrude on her this time around.

He blatantly disregarded the transmission.

Slithering up to the duo, he placed a light hand on the small of her back and leaned into her ear as the cameras continued to flash. "We need to talk."

From the corner of her eye she sent him a quick look that asked if he was stupid. He knew that he'd be casting unwarranted attention on them but stepping into her and Dallas' photos. Especially after the media storm they were hit with after their date at the Adventure Park. They obviously had yet to talk about it, but the rumors were already churning about their steamy love affair.

If the truth couldn't even be called a rumor.

"Not now." Vocal ice. That's what her voice was.

"Backstage. Before you present. Or I'll give a very _generous _interview after the show."

Her head turned sharply towards him and she just barely nodded enough for him to see it.

Content with the first half of his plan, he left her and headed into the venue.

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"I only have four minutes. What?" She finally charged into the greenroom where he had texted her to meet him. In her current state she reminded him of a phoenix. A nearly unobtainable beauty masking a raging temper that could be detrimental to anyone who came up against it.

He was that anyone.

"I'm sorry." Sure, it was weak but where else could he start really?

Beautiful chocolate orbs circled up into her head. "Good talk. I have to go, Austin."

She turned to leave and he reacted instantaneously, encasing her in the firmness of his arms and pulling her flush against him, her back to his chest. Her hips pressed delicately back into him and her scent was intoxicating and he forced himself to focus on clearing the film of arousal that she was already casting over him.

At her sharp intake of breath he felt some relief in knowing that this was proving just as difficult for her.

"I'm sorry…" she suppressed a shiver at the feel of his heat breath tickling her ear. "I shouldn't have gotten so upset. I was being archaic and brutish." His fingertips left a burning trail from her stomach to the outside of her thigh, and she swore she could practically feel his callouses through the cloth of her gown. "I want you to be mine, Ally."

The chills that currently racked her body she couldn't suppress.

He ran his lips along the silk curve of her neck, "Only mine."

All at once she turned in his arms, gripping a handful of perfectly gelled locks and forced their mouths together. Her lips covered his in a prominent display of dominance as she lifted onto her toes to press their chests tightly together. She sunk her teeth into his lower lip with a roughness he didn't know she'd possessed, and tugged before pulling back. "I have to go. But we _will _talk about this later. I'll come to your place after the after party?"

"Yeah…" He be lying if he said that kiss hadn't left him dumbfounded.

She smirked seductively and began towards the exit, swaying her hips with a blatant sultriness. "Oh, and Austin?" She called over her shoulder.

"Yeah?" Wait, did his voice just crack? How embarrassing.

"I hope you have a lot of stamina. You'll be needing it tonight."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This is where the M rating will be the strongest. If you can't hang with a ton of smut, please skip. I'm digging into the deepest crevices of my libido on this one, so my apologies in advance. **

**Twitter: KFizzleWizzle**

**Check my bio for the Polyvore that has all the outfits from this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothing 'bout no one. **

It had been hours since their rendezvous in the green room and she'd hardly even seen him in passing since. Vampire Journals hadn't won any of the categories that they were nominated in (which was no big deal because they were up against some stellar series and actors, and even getting nominated in their first season was pretty impressive), and now she, Dallas, and Elliot were at an after party receiving an overabundance of "So sorry for your loss" and "Maybe next time"'s.

Comments that would have been super appreciated, had her nether regions not been absolutely throbbing for _him. _

Their few moments alone earlier had relit a fire in her that she had just only started to quell, since his going MIA after their first, and so far lone, night together.

Don't be fooled, she was still incredibly pissed off at him for being so petulant about her plans to come with Dallas.

But when given the opportunity of potentially stripping Austin Moon from a tuxedo, you took it regardless of circumstance.

She had no idea what had overcome her when she had told him that he'd be needing plenty of stamina tonight. It was as though she'd been possessed. By some coquettish minx who craved what hung between his legs like it was her only source of life.

And after 38 hours of being cut off, she felt like she was dying.

Generally in life she would accept and recognize the fact that her metaphor was a bit of a hyperbole, or an over exaggeration if you will.

But that generally would have been before she had slept with him and knew first hand how deliciously he filled her.

God, someone needed to turn on the AC because it was getting so freaking hot in here.

Or maybe it was just her.

Yeah, it was probably just her.

Feeling as though a bit of fresh air may help her case, she excused herself from her colleagues and the group of people beginning to once again form around them, "I'll be right back. I'm going to go outside for a minute." She whispered into Dallas' ear.

He placed a light hand on her upper arm, "Everything okay?"

She smiled at the look in his eyes that was unmistakably that of concern. She truly hoped that at some point they would once again be able to get to a point where they were comfortable as friends. So far this evening he had yet to ask about Austin so she took that as a step in the right direction. "Yes, I'm fine. Just feeling a little claustrophobic."

Because she was sure that saying she felt horny probably would've warranted some sort of further explanation.

The dark haired man nodded in understanding, "I'll cover for you."

And with that he tilted his body at just the right angle to force her out of the social circle.

Bless his soul.

Grasping her clutch tightly in one hand so as not to drop it, she used her free hand to bunch up a portion of her dress to create some ease for herself while she carefully guided her movements through the crowd. Warmth was beginning to rise from the room in hazy waves, a direct result of he heated bodies packed into the tight space. A sigh of relief escaped her when she reached the entrance to the club that was hosting the event.

Stepping out into the brisk evening air, she glanced up at the sky and was not at all surprised to find that only a few stars were visible.

Thanks L.A for the lack of ambient light and excess of light pollution. It's not like she wanted to appreciate the night sky anyway.

Earlier in the evening she had put her phone on vibrate with the hope that if Austin were to text she would be able to feel it through her clutch but had thus far received no alerts. Wondering if she had just missed them, she reached for the small device.

That's when she was attacked.

A large hand covered her mouth from behind to trap her scream as a fabric covered arm slid across her torso. Right as she was preparing the stiletto of her heel to slam into her assailants instep, an all too familiar voice permeated her fight or flight instinct, "Shh. Let's go."

She should've been humiliated by the arousal that shot through her at the demanding infliction of his tone. But maybe she was a bit of a masochist.

Only for him though.

At a later date when asked about his conduct, she'd lie and say that she had known it was him the entire time. As it currently stood, her heart was banging rapidly against her rib cage threatening to burst through the flesh and bone and plunge to the ground between them. Which she'd honestly probably be okay with.

He was on his way to stealing her heart anyway.

She let herself be manhandled by her blonde Casanova, and only briefly faltered when she remembered their whereabouts. "Austin, I have to tell Dal-"

"Trish took care of it." Trish? What did Trish have to do with anything? Actually, scratch that. Her best friend was a tricky little rascal and she'd probably had everything to do with this. She thought better than to question him about it though because he was already being cold and short and she wondered what exactly it was that was up his ass now.

Truthfully she didn't really care that much as long as she was about to get sexed.

And when he opened the back door to a perfectly shined black Rolls Royce, slid onto the leather seats, and pulled her into his lap, she had a _very _strong feeling that she was about to be sexed.

Her arms immediately wound their way around his neck to bury her fingers in his moussed hair. Tonight it was tamed and she was very much looking forward to getting it back to its "Just Been Fucked" state. By the most natural means possible.

"Hi." She breathed just inches from his face as the car began to take off towards an unknown destination. His lips were looking devilishly enticing. Even more so than usual.

The dark brown hues of his eyes were swirling, as though warning of a perilous storm heading her direction at 100mph, and his voice was low and gravelly as he responded, "Hi."

Her clit quivered.

She was momentarily grateful that there was a partition separating them from his driver since her arousal was skyrocketing. Her blood felt like it was boiling in her veins and memories of the last time she'd been with him ghosted over her skin like a phantom touch. Everything they had done, every lick, every stroke, invaded her senses. Perceptive to the fact that she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer, she gave in to her body's needs and leaned forward to engage him in a kiss.

He pulled back.

Shocked, she attempted to mask the hurt that the action had caused her but never actually had to since the emotion was so short lived.

Short lived because at this exact moment, his coarse fingertips had found their way under the currently-too-long hem of her dress, gliding up her thighs to the place that she needed him most.

When she felt his middle finger run across the damp lace of her underwear, a lewd moan left her mouth eagerly. His body's response to her was currently pressing into her ass and she wanted nothing more than to adjust their positions so that she could take him right there. She once again sought out his lips and was once again denied his taste.

His mouth had positioned itself comfortably in the nook between her neck and her jawline. Licks, nibbles, and bites were placed on her unmarred skin as he continued to skim his fingers against her wetness creating a tight ball of energy low in her stomach, and from what seemed like a mile away she heard him growl, "You can't just leave me how you left me and expect to get everything you want, Dawson. Trust me when I say I'm not lacking in stamina. And you'll witness it first hand. When I keep you from cumming. _All. Fucking. Night."_

She could've sworn her body was about to splinter into a million pieces at his terrifying promise.

It was sure to be the sweetest torture.

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He had managed to get them into the elevator of his rental apartment.

How, she had no fucking idea but she was certain that she hadn't assisted his efforts at all.

Her mind had been otherwise preoccupied.

Mostly with the cool air hitting her clit and the sticky arousal coating the inside of her thighs.

Why were these things occurring, you ask?

Because the asshole had somehow managed to get her panties from around her waist to the inside of his jacket pocket in exactly zero seconds flat.

It had to have been magic.

She refused to believe that it was because he was in complete and utter control, even though they both knew he was.

But she was about to take some of it back.

Bitch.

As he mauled her body, hands roaming up her sides forcefully and teeth trailing along her collarbone, a petite hand reached out to slam against the red emergency button of the elevator, bringing the machine to a jostling halt.

He pulled back with a start and she was pleased to see that he appeared disoriented, like he'd just been thrown into a world that he had no prior knowledge of.

A world that most certainly wasn't as enjoyable as his ministrations on her body were.

Taking advantage of his dazedness, she shoved hard against his chest with as much force as she could muster and grinned in triumph as his back hit the opposite wall of the small space with a thud.

"What are you doing?" God, the things that his voice could do to her body.

Wordlessly, she sauntered towards him, hiking her dress up as she went. She was going to need some range of movement if this plan of hers was going to work. It would've been comical the way his eyes practically bulged out of his head if she hadn't been so fucking turned on.

Two inches away from him, she gracefully sunk to her knees. When his jaw dropped, she smirked in victory.

Looked like the odds were in her favor and the tides had turned.

Nimble fingers went to work freeing him from the restraints of his slacks. Popping open the button and pulling the pants to his knees, she almost came at the sight of him. Clad in jet black briefs that looked as though they had been sculpted onto his body, the prominent bulge protruding from between his legs did nothing to ease the nearly overbearing throbbing between her own.

Looking into his eyes, she pushed her palm roughly into him, running up the length of his erection. Responding immediately to her touch his head fell back against the wall and the sound resonated through the hollowed expanse.

So he _definitely _wasn't as in control as he thought he was.

Her pink tongue jetted out to wet her lips, while her fingertips simultaneously charted the territory of the deep V cut carved into his abdominals, ending in the waistband of his underwear.

Slowly she pulled the offending material down just far enough for his dick to spring free of the constraint. In all it's glory.

It was long and thick, just as she'd remembered it to be, and pointed straight up standing at attention. Thick veins ran through its breadth and there was already a drop of pre-cum begging for attention from her.

"So sexy…." She whispered more to herself than to him.

Without hesitation she leaned into him and licked a slow trail from the base of his cock to the head, dipping her tongue into his slit to lap up the seemingly growing pool of liquid at his tip.

An animalistic groan left his throat as she continued to tease him, fisting him in her hand and tugging him closer until he got the hint and guided himself into her hollowed mouth.

This time the sounds of pleasure filling the air were coming from both parties.

Grazing her hands around his thighs to rest on his delectable ass, she pulled away until only the tip of him was left in her mouth and swirled her tongue around his girth, before taking him back in as deep as she could and humming deep from her throat, sending vibrations shooting through his dick.

Strong hands slid into her hair, sending askew a ton of bobby pins and clips to release her long brown hair in waves around her shoulders, and it only further spurred her actions as her head began to bob back and forth of its own accord, using her forceful grasp on his ass as an anchor.

When she looked up at him his eyes were screwed shut and she could tell he was barely holding on, "Ally, baby...I'm about to cum…" his voice had lost a lot of the authority it had previously held.

"Mmm…" She moaned again, sending more vibrations through his shaft. She released his cock with a slight pop and threw her hand onto the emergency button again, causing the elevator to jerk to life once more.

She seriously considered whipping out her camera to document the look on his face because words couldn't even begin to describe it. He began frantically redressing himself before the doors opened on his floor and her smile was anything but innocent.

"Two can play this game, Moon."

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"I swear to God if you rip this dress I'm buying a chastity belt and throwing away the key!" She growled to him over her shoulder.

They had arrived in his kitchen through a series of fumbling, determined, and precarious steps during which they were completely wrapped around each other. Their lips had been crushed together, teeth and tongues clashing up until the moment that he'd forced her to the position that she was in now.

Which was facing his kitchen island, hips leaning against the countertop as he stood behind her trying desperately to get her dress off. Knowing first hand his penchant for ripping her clothes, she'd given the disclaimer to remind him, even through the film of lust surrounding him, that this was her _Golden Globes dress._

"Well how the fuck do I get it off?!" The frustration was evident in his tone, and she couldn't help but to be proud of the fact that her elevator stunt had accomplished exactly what she'd intended it too. Hoping to give him a bit more incentive to get her out of the restricting garment, she pushed her hips back. Her ass brushed against the unmistakable outline of his cock and a strangled noise catches in his throat. "Ally, now's not a good time to tease. I'm sure this dress cost a lot of money."

The threat rang clear through the room. If she kept messing with him, he would rip it. And as sexy as that would be, no one in their right mind was that frivolous with money. She reached to her side and undid the clasp holding the dress together. "Now unzip."

She trembled as he pulled down the zipper, knuckles ghosting over every inch of new skin exposed. When the dress pooled at her feet she turned, exposing her naked body to him completely.

Leaning back against the counter, she felt drunk off of him. The tension between them was so intense, so…unadulterated. She couldn't be held accountable for any future actions.

Future actions which currently happened to be dragging her fingers down her own stomach on a very clearly marked southern route.

"Take your clothes off." She purred, circling her own clit languidly, well aware of where his eyes were focused, she was positively _loving_ the fact that he was spellbound by her behavior.

Eyes never leaving her pussy, he stripped in record time, stepping out of his underwear last and fisting his cock like a horny teenage boy. Hardened muscles seemed to strain against the restriction of his skin, and the salty sheen beginning to form made him look downright sinful.

She could feel the flush creeping up her neck at the eroticism of the fact that they were both pleasuring themselves while naked and within a foot of each other. Needing him inside of her more than she could ever remember needing anything, she turned to face the counter once more.

The cold marble against her bare skin was welcomed by the light sheen of sweat coating her body. Gathering her thick hair over her right shoulder, she looked over her left to address him. "I've been thinking about you fucking me like this since the last time we were in a kitchen together…"

And with that she sensually bent forward, swaying her ass lightly as an invitation for him to come and have his way with her.

It didn't take him long to RSVP.

A large hand splayed across her stomach, and he guided his dick into her tight heat. Ass brushing against his pelvic muscles, her breath hitched at the realization that he was fully sheathed inside of her and it felt _so fucking good._

"Ah fuck, Ally…." He began to gently roll his hips into her and she could feel the flush creeping up her chest. Dropping her chin, her hand reached back seeking out contact with him to anchor her. A hand closed around her wrist and she returned the effort.

"Ungh…fuck…." _Coherent thoughts, Ally. Coherent thoughts._ "mmm….I need more_…" _He was doing great. Really, _absolutely great. _

But just to make things a tad more interesting, "Fuck me, Austin."

As the words left her mouth his hips jerked, almost as though it was a reflex and an animalistic growl filled the room.

And it was like flicking a light switch.

The hand that had been resting on her stomach, snuck around to her hips and he dug his fingers in as his thrusts began to pick up speed.

"God yes! Fuck. Fuck! Austin!" He had begun pounding into her relentlessly and her breasts were bouncing with the momentum. The lilt of their skin slapping together was carnal, and his fingers were tightening around her wrist.

She'd be bruised tomorrow.

It'd be so sexy.

His thigh muscles were stepping into overdrive, flexing against the back of her legs as he kept the pace sure and steady, a mixture of expletives and incoherent ramblings leaving his mouth.

With her name sometimes mixed in.

"Shit…ungh…Ally…fuck….Oh Jesus…"

Fire began to pool low in her abdomen and his rhythm was becoming more sporadic. Frantic for release, she took hold of the hand he had on her hip and blatantly placed it on her clit hoping that he'd get the message.

He did.

Pressing roughly, his middle finger stroked tight circles around the hardened nub.

Her body felt deliciously taut as she slammed both hands onto the kitchen island and pushed her hips harder back against him, riding him the best that she could from a standing position.

Throwing her head back just as he was leaning forward to dig his teeth into her shoulder, they barely avoided a painful accident as their climaxes approached.

"Austin! AHHH FUCK!" The air between them was practically crackling with electricity. The familiar rippling tore through her, sending her blood roaring through her ears as her vision started to blur.

When her slick walls began to clench and contract around him, his hips jerked irregularly as he reached his orgasm, whispering her name over and over like a mantra.

As he slowed his pumping, she felt the last aftershocks of her release leave her system. Exhausted, she fell to her elbows catching her forehead in her hands and gasping for breath. He too bent forward, collapsing over her shoulder. The sweat that he'd produced creating a sort of suction against her skin.

Disbelieving laughter filled her ears as she began to regain control of her senses. Still flushed and out of breath she turned her head towards him and raised an eyebrow.

She didn't want to speak just yet because she had this irrational belief that if she did it would remind him that he was still inside of her and cause him to pull out.

And she kinda really liked him exactly where he was.

"That was so hot." Was his only explanation. She welcomed his fingers against her forehead, pushing her hair off her face. "You're so beautiful. Did I hurt you?"

This man. This fucking man. He had just screwed her brains out. _Hard. _Then somehow manages to pull himself together to not only tell her that she's _beautiful _after she acted like a shameless harlot, but also to worry as to whether or not he'd harmed her.

No wonder he got all the ladies.

She shook her head at him. "No. You were perfect. That's quite the script though. Give a compliment and then evaluate the damages. Do you use that on all the ladies?" She smiled and winked to let him know that she was joking.

Well she was kind of joking.

He however had a more than serious face when he replied.

"Only the ones that I love."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So I currently have three very different multichapters going in three very different directions. If you are one of the brave souls keeping up with all of them, my applause to you. Truly, you are a magical wizard of patience. **

**Please remember to review! I need them to inspire me! Especially now since I suck so much for doing school. Boo.**

**Twitter: KFizzleWizzle**

**Check my bio for the Polyvore that has all the outfits from this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothing 'bout no one. **

He was such a fucking moron.

Such a _fucking _moron.

True enough he hadn't been a part of many serious relationships since Cassidy, but he was pretty sure that it was heavily frowned upon to tell a girl that you love her and then run away immediately after.

So immediately, in fact, that he didn't even have time to throw his clothes back on, simply grabbing a tee and jeans before muttering a quick, "I gotta go" and running out.

Of his own apartment.

Over the two hours that followed he was once again in the position where he was avoiding a number of texts and calls from her but he didn't know what he could possibly say to make up for his cowardice.

He loved Ally.

It happened seemingly out of nowhere. Sure, he knew it was coming. He was practically begging for it with his infatuation with the petite brunette. But when it finally dawned on him, after a fight and incredibly hot make up sex, he'd panicked.

And that's how he found himself sitting at a 24 Hour Diner the next morning on the phone with Dez.

"_What up?"_

Austin smiled at the sense of comfort the high pitched tone of his best friend brought him. "Hey, Dez. How's it going?"

"_Everything's great here! You wouldn't believe it…I found us a pet tortoise! He's the new mascot here at the studio." _Dez had flown back to New York a few weeks ago to make sure that the studio wasn't completely falling apart in Austin's absence.

Not to say that was too reassuring for Austin, but sometimes you just had to make sacrifices. And he would sacrifice basically anything for Ally.

_Ally._

"That's great, dude. Super pumped about the turtle-"

"_Tortoise. Bass is a tortoise."_

"Bass? What the hell kind of name-look, never mind. I need advice." He wrapped his free hand around the lukewarm coffee that he'd ordered nearly half an hour ago and had yet to take a drink from.

"_Is it Allyson? How's she doing?"_

"Yeah, it's Ally. I told her I love her."

He heard some rustling on the other end of the line before Dez came back. _"Sorry, man! Had to feed Bass his strawberries. Congrats! So when's the wedding?"_

"Dez. I left right after I told her."

The line went silent for a moment. _"Wow, okay. Okay…I'm sure this can be fixed-"_

"Right after we had sex. She was still naked when I left."

"_You're fucked. Why the hell would you do that?"_

"I didn't think. I just freaked out. I do love her. I just…it's been a long time since I loved someone Dez. What if I fuck it up?"

"_You kind of already did, Austin. You need to go to her place and fix it."_

Austin cringed before responding, "I'm not sure if she's home."

"_Of course she's home. It's five o'clock in the morning there. Where else would she be?"_

Gritting his teeth at how his best friend might react to this next bit of news, he mutters, "At my place."

It's like he could see the wheels turning in Dez's mind as seconds pass by uninterrupted. "_Austin, you didn't."_

"I did."

"_You left her at your house?! After fucking her and telling her you love her?!"_

"Yeah….yeah, I did."

"_I gotta go."_

"Dez, dude. What the fuck? What should I do?" A trembling hand ran through disgruntled hair.

"_Not even I can fix this, Austin. You may have actually outdone yourself this time. I wouldn't be surprised if she never forgave you again." _

And that's exactly what he was afraid of.

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He wasn't sure how his feet had brought him here. The location was definitely not on his current list of most desirable destinations.

She probably wouldn't let him in.

Especially since he still hadn't tried to get in touch with her at all.

Hell, for all he knew she might still be at his place. It's not like he'd been back there since he'd fled.

Hesitantly, he lifted his hand and rapped lightly on Ally's apartment door.

It didn't take long for her to open the door and when she did, his breath caught in his throat.

His normally perfectly poised Ally seemed to be barely hanging on by a thread.

Her make up free eyes were red rimmed, a sure sign that she'd been crying. The beautiful amber locks that had fallen freely in curls just hours before, shoved on top of her head haphazardly, as though the thought of messing with them repulsed her. She was clad in a loose pair of work out pants with an even looser sweatshirt, and her usually alabaster skin seemed sallow.

All in the three hours since he'd last seen her.

"What, Austin?" She managed to choke out. He could tell she was trying her damnedest not to cry in front of him.

And he knew she wouldn't. She was too strong.

"Can we talk?" He shuffled nervously from side to side wondering how he was going to fix this.

"What about? I thought you got what you wanted from me." Her voice sounded weary as she leaned her left side against the doorjamb, leaving her right hand to clutch the handle of the door.

"Als, you know it's not like that. I lo-" He reached his arms out but pulled back when she abruptly cut him off with a lifted palm.

"No. Don't you dare. You don't get to come to _my_ home with empty declarations after leaving me naked, exposed, and alone in your apartment." Her eyes fluttered closed. "Do you have _any _idea how humiliating that was for me? To be left like that? Do you, Austin?!"

The wideness of her eyes made the tears threatening to spill over look all the more heartbreaking. Not knowing what to say, he told her the only thing he could think of.

The truth.

Letting his voice fall to a little more than a whisper he croaks out, "I got scared, Ally."

The laugh that escaped her lips was mirthless, "Oh, you got scared, did you? _You _got scared after _you _told me that youloved me_." _She was using a perfectly manicured finger to gesture between the two of them. "I didn't do anything wrong, Austin! Not once did I ever push you for _anything_ more serious or for some sort of commitment. I didn't ask for your hand in marriage or even to be recognized as your girlfriend, yet _YOU _got scared from telling me how you feel about me?! That's bullshit."

Snapping them both out of the tension completely encompassing them, a door opens across the hall and a middle-aged man steps out, "Dawson. Keep your private shit private please, cause quite frankly I don't give a fuck."

"Sorry, Mr. Heathen."

Austin looks from Ally to the bearded asshole. "Hey, you don't need to be a dick about it-" but before he could finish his threat, small fingers had wrapped around his forearm and was pulling him into her living room.

Well if it got him past the threshold it was worth it, he guessed.

Immediately aware of when the warmth of her fingers left his arm, he tried not to shiver at the loss of contact. His eyes followed the sway of her hips as she took herself over to her couch and leaned against the arm, sending the clear message for him to not get too comfortable because this wouldn't take much longer. "Austin. You brought my worst fear of getting involved with you to life."

Not knowing what to do with himself, he remained standing, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I know."

Eyes that had been previously focused intently on the ground, slowly dragged up to meet his own. "Then why'd you do it?"

The timid tone of her voice is what finally brought his legs into motion, and he settled himself on the couch cushion closest to her. "I told you, I was scared."

"Uh huh. Now the truth."

He felt the corners of his mouth begin to turn up. Even in the midst of a huge clusterfuck, her sarcasm still found a way to shine through. That's why he loved her.

Although that's also what got them into this mess.

"Ally, I…" he turned to face her, grabbing her calves and turning her so that her feet were resting in his lap from her position perched above him. He felt her stiffen but she didn't move. "I don't know. It took me by surprise. I knew that I had been falling for you. It was obvious from the thirst I have to always be with you and the way that just the sound of your voice sends my heart into overdrive. But to be standing there with you. And for it to slip out that way. I didn't even think about it, didn't have time to process what I was saying. I felt so out of control and I didn't like it. It scared me. I know it wasn't fair to you. I don't know what I could ever do to make you forgive me. But I really do love-"

"Don't." She held up a single finger to his lips. "Still not okay."

Glancing around her apartment she began to unknowingly trace the pattern of her pants, actively avoiding his eyes. "I was scared too, you know. Scared that I would end up falling for you. Scared that I would give you everything only to have you turn around and leave. It took _every ounce _of courageI have to let go of those fears, Austin."

His features appeared broken and Ally could tell that her words were hurting him, but they needed to be said so she pushed through. "Even after having spent time with you, it was hard for me to know your reputation. After hearing about Cassidy, I thought that you couldn't be half as bad as the rumors made you out to be. And it hurts so deeply to know I was wrong." Her eyes closed as she once again managed to get her emotions in check. "I don't want to hear you tell me you love me because I don't think that you do."

His jaw dropped. "Ally-"

"Because if you loved someone, truly loved them, you could never do to them what you did to me." She swiveled her legs to the floor and stood, heading to the door. "I think you should go."

Shocked, he remained seated, "I know I fucked up. I do. But I don't want to lose you." Finally regaining his wits, he took four quick strides to bring himself in front of her and grabbed her hands. She was ridding herself of him. He was a millisecond away from losing the only woman who had ever made him feel these feelings and it scared him shitless. She could very well be the love of his life and she wouldn't even believe him when he told her. He'd have to get her to believe him. He needed time. Time with her. "Don't push me away."

Strong arms snaked around her pulling her into his chest. The familiar scent of him slammed into her like a brick wall and her muscles relaxed against her will. She was so comfortable here. She reached around to clutch the back of his shirt desperately, letting herself enjoy those few moments of uninhibited comfort and ease, before dropping her hands and pulling away.

"I didn't push you away, Austin. You ran."

And with that she opened the door to let him out.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey, do you ever have those moments when you start a story but then halfway through you're like, "Wow I want to change everything about this"?**

**No.**

**I do.**

**That being said, this takes place a year after the last chapter. **

**Also, I would **_**love **_**to get 200 reviews. Cough cough.**

**Twitter: kfizzlewizzle**

**I highly suggest checking my bio for the Polyvore for this chapter. The new OC is on there too if you need a mental image. **

He was networking for his debut album when next he saw her.

It had been a full year with him doing variety of things, most important of which was turning over ownership of his New York studio to Dez while simultaneously trying to get over the most important woman in his life.

And as a means of catharsis, he managed to accidentally record a whole EP about that same woman which most L.A. producers seemed to think was brilliant.

So that's what he was pursuing now.

After all, he had to keep himself occupied somehow.

Austin hadn't seen Ally in person since the day she closed the door on their relationship, and by extension, on him. He'd spent months afterwards frantically going back and forth between whether or not to contact her. He knew he should've and that she more than likely would've been receptive to any communication from him. She was overly forgiving. But something in him always held him back like a vice grip. And deep down he knew exactly what it was.

He wasn't good enough for Ally Dawson.

Every time he unconsciously pulled up the memory of leaving her alone in his apartment, he felt something clench in his chest. Maybe it was regret. It might've been disgust. But whatever it was, it was a constant reminder of how she deserved better.

That didn't mean he hadn't kept up with her career though. And although he wasn't proud of it, her personal life as well. Her show was doing awesome. She'd even filmed a movie during the shows summer break and it was already receiving Oscar buzz.

Oh, and she was dating.

Tanner Korsak.

Some British, hipster, model guy who had guest starred on her show one time and had managed to earn a permanent role in her bed. For the past seven months.

Austin was happy for her.

At least that's what he kept telling himself.

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"Yeah, I'm super pumped that it's being so well received. I never really thought that I'd get into sharing my music, it's kind of always been just a hobby for me but the gist of this EP is something I think a lot of people can relate to. And letting other people listen and enjoy it is kind of like sharing the weight of the emotions behind it, you know?"

He was currently at a beach bonfire that his producer had arranged for him to play a set at. They'd hired a camera crew and were going to upload a couple of the videos of him playing to MyTewb as a way to get his name out there. Therefore the whole event had pretty successfully been kept low-key, with only about 70 or so people in attendance. One of those people was the music correspondent host of EntertainMe Tonight, whom he was currently interviewing with. "That makes perfect sense. I know for a fact that a good chunk of our viewers are obsessed with your music and you've only released one single so far! How many songs can we expect from your EP?"

He pretended not to notice the way her eyes raked over him and the corner of her lip tucked between her teeth. She was beautiful. Red hair and hazel eyes, a very rare and exotic combination, but he wasn't exactly in the market. He hadn't been for a while. "Yeah, man, my fans are crazy supportive! I think they've named themselves too, right?" He smiled, holding out a hand as if asking her for verification of this statement, "They're Austies. Which is so cool because usually it's only pretty big stars that have named fan bases. I know that I personally am a huge, what is it, a Katy Kat? Is that the name of Katy Perry's fans? She's pretty sick. But back to your question," they shared another laugh together over his tendency to veer off subject, "The EP will have four songs total. Amnesia is the one that you guys have already heard. Then there's Anna Sun, Better Than This, and the one I'll be headlining with tonight is Heart Made Up On You."

"Well I'm looking forward to watching you perform tonight! And I'm definitely an Austie." She sent a flirty wink his way. "We're here at the Beach Bonfire Bash with Austin Moon so stick around for more Behind The Scene Featurettes. I'm Kate!"

"And I'm Austin!" The blonde gripped the mic, covering the small fingers that were already encasing it and looked into the camera before joining the redhead in saying,

"And this is EntertainMe Tonight!"

The man behind the camera nodded signaling to them that he was no longer rolling. As the man turned to take down the artificial lighting and leave them in the much more dim glow of the bonfire under the night sky, Kate turned to Austin. "So, who's the girl?"

The blonde, who had been distractedly scanning the beach and had already taken notice of at least twelve people he needed to go greet, was confused by her question, "I'm sorry?"

"All those song title seem pretty…well….committed. Who's the girl you wrote them about?" Her tone of voice held no spite or jealousy. She genuinely just seemed curious.

"Ah, just an old flame." He run his hand over the back of his neck before giving a light shrug, "You know how it is. Art imitates life, right?"

Kate gave a light chuckle before opening her mouth to speak, "Austin?"

However the voice that came out was decidedly not hers, and judging by the wide-eyed look on the redheads face, she too was aware of this fact. In fact, it sounded more like the voice of someone that he was certain he'd never hear speak his name again. Someone who definitely shouldn't be _here,_ at his first performance.

"Austin…." This time it was spoken much softer, as though in disbelief. Since it was coming from behind him he'd yet to see the owner of the voice and would be lying if he said he wasn't scared shitless to do so. He had just started finding a peace within himself over what had happened with her. He was just getting to the point where she wasn't the first and last thing he thought of everyday.

Just every other day.

Knowing that he'd officially exhausted the appropriate amount of time one could wait before acknowledging the sound of one's name, he turned slowly towards the beckoning.

And his heart damn near stopped beating.

Standing there in all her glory was Ally Dawson.

And just like that he knew that he'd been delusional to ever believe he was getting over this girl.

Gorgeous as ever in a pair of cut off shorts and a top that revealed too much skin, she looked at him as though he was a ghost. But as he continued his evaluation of her, he couldn't bring himself to care.

She was sun-kissed. More so than he'd ever seen her, and the slight tan of her skin was complimented perfectly by the hip length beach waves falling around her face. Hair that had once looked like chocolate melting into caramel now seemed more like a swirl of the two, with golden highlights scattered strategically throughout the dark tresses. Her small frame was covered by an oversized cardigan, which he was grateful for because the less skin of hers that he saw, the better their chances of getting out of this unscathed.

"Hi." She said softly, giving him the slight smile that had always managed to shatter his world. She stepped forward as though she was going to hug him but hesitated, not knowing how he'd respond.

Rolling his eyes with a smirk he grabbed her wrists and pulled, sending her barreling into his chest. "Hey, Ally."

He was quite proud of his nonchalance and how his voice hadn't even shaken when her name fell from his lips. That was the first time he'd said it in nearly a year.

Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he definitely _didn't _inhale the familiar scent of her shampoo, or take comfort in the fact that the perfection of their fit hadn't altered at all. Or notice the way her fingertips dug into his back just slightly before she pulled away.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you in New York?" She crossed her arms and he noticed her eyes roaming over his features. Eyes that had once been so expressive to him were practically unreadable, as new walls had been built that would rival those of Jericho.

Confused, he furrowed his brow, "I'm based here now…L.A, I mean. Dez is running the New York studio. I'm uh…well, I'm doing music." He chuckled awkwardly, and gestured around the area. "This is _my_ bonfire, Als. My concert."

He didn't fail to notice the way her breath hitched at the use of his old nickname for her. They both did choose to ignore it, however. "You're doing music now? Oh my gosh, Austin! That's great!" She playfully hit his chest in a congratulatory manner, "I'm so happy for you! Why the sudden change of heart? I thought you said it was too personal…" Towards the end of the sentence her voice softened, recognizing that this was a secret that he had given to her in confidence.

His shoulders raised in a slight shrug, "Some shit is too heavy to keep bottled up." They both knew what remained unsaid. _Their _shit was too heavy to keep bottled up. "If you didn't know this was for me then what are you doing here?" He wasn't going to lie. It'd kind of hurt to find out that she hadn't come here to see him. Although he wasn't sure why she would have anyway.

"I..um…well the network is doing this Next Big Thing segment." She hitched her thumb over her shoulder pointing vaguely to the area behind her, presumably towards where her networks van was, "I'm just kind of being the face of Vampire Journals tonight. Just supposed to show up at this concert, jump around, laugh, make people want to buy the music. I…well…I didn't know it was you."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he rocked back on his heels. "Would it have made a difference if you'd known?"

They both knew the weight behind this question. She paused, wrapping her arms tighter around herself as though to suppress a chill. Which had nothing to do with the temperature because even with the coolness of the night it was in the mid 80's. Biting her lip she finally began to respond to his inquiry. "Austin, I-"

Before she had the chance to get even midway through her sentence, she was interrupted by a pair of strong arms sweeping her off the ground before setting her down abruptly, "Hey, nugget!"

Features instantly relaxing as she recognized the person behind the manhandling, Ally laughed and hit the chest of the dark haired man, pinching a little before pulling away. "You know I hate when you call me that."

Chuckling, he positioned himself to her side, letting his arms hang loosely around her midsection, "But it always makes you laugh, doesn't it?"

She nodded with a huge smile, leaning up to kiss him before remembering her surroundings and internally swearing. Pulling back abruptly, she took a hold of the hand on her hip and faced him forward. "Tanner, this is Austin Moon. Austin, this is Tanner Korsak. My boy-"

Not wanting to hear the end of that sentence, Austin held out his hand for a shake. Seeing someone else touch her had already been enough to send the blonde into a tailspin. His heart was racing and adrenaline was coursing through his veins. As the muscles rippled under his skin, he fought a very primal urge to whisk Ally over his shoulder and remind her just how animalistic he could be.

He deflated when he realized that he'd never get the chance to do that again.

But Tanner would.

"Nice to meet you, man."

Responding in kind the new guy reached his hand out as well, causing him to actually press tighter into Ally's back and making the already unsteady contents of Austin's stomach roll even more. "Pleasure's mine, truly. You're wicked talented. I love your music."

Brunette locks whipped to the side as she looked up into her boyfriends face, "You've heard his music?!"

Tanner looked down at her as though she'd been under a rock the past six months. "Yeah, of course!" Then turning back to Austin he continued, "Will you be playing Amnesia tonight?"

Austin's hands flew through his hair and he laughed nervously, "Yep, sure will!" Sure, somewhere in his mind he knew that Ally would eventually hear his songs. He had just never thought he'd have to sing them directly to her.

And her new boyfriend.

"Well I actually….need to go set up. I'll see you guys." And with that, the blonde headed away from them.

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She sat on a log near the roaring blaze, legs crossed demurely and elbows resting on her thighs as she looked across the beach at him.

Austin Moon.

The man who had entered her life, turned it upside down, and promptly exited again.

She wasn't naïve enough to believe that she hadn't played a huge part in the ultimate demise of their….whatever-ship. She'd blatantly told him that she didn't want anything to do with him and that he shouldn't even try. But it was only because he had hurt her.

He had hurt her so fucking bad.

All she'd wanted from him was some sort of proof, something to bring truth to the feelings he claimed he had. Actions had always spoken louder to her than words. But since he had disappeared completely from her life with nay more than an ambiguous Facebook status, she couldn't help but feel as though her disbelief of his proclamations had been validated.

So she set forth to forget about him.

She buried herself in work, spent five nights a week out with Trish, and tried her damndest to block out all thoughts of warm, whiskey eyes and ruffled blonde hair.

And then she met a guy.

A wonderful, caring and attentive guy. Tanner was driven, he was hardworking, and he fought for her. Even when she told him she wasn't interested he fought for her.

Which is more than she could say for Austin.

Continuing to stare at Austin while waiting on Tanner to return to her with a drink, she noticed just how different the two men were. They were polar opposites if she was being honest. Tanner was all sharp features, and dark genetics, the hipster, alternative type. Whereas Austin, while also tall, was the epitome of the boy next door. Clad in a red, plaid button down and khakis, he was about as mainstream as one could get. She personally didn't have a preference either way. She liked whom she liked.

And so, apparently, did the redhead who was currently chatting up Austin across the beach.

She was pulled from her thoughts by hints of a forest green t-shirt flashing in her peripheral before a red Solo cup was held out in front of her. Peering into the cup, she looked into the hazel eyes of her boyfriend, "What is it?"

He shrugged and took the seat next to her. "You know, Ally Dawson. I'm not entirely certain." He scrunched up his nose, looking at the contents of his own cup skeptically. "Cheers."

She laughed as he tilted the cup back and took four long gulps before setting it back down. "Oh, that is vulgar. It tastes like a combination of beer, shoe polish, and… Grape Kool Aid?"

"Mmm, sounds promising." She placed her own cup down on the sand without taking a drink and leaned back on one hand, once more letting her gaze drift and faltering over Austin a second longer than she should have.

"Enlighten me." She heard the thick roll of his accent beside her and glanced his way. He too was looking at Austin with eyebrows raised. It had to be obvious to him that Ally and the blonde had a past even though she'd never told him about it. Because of the lasting effects Austin had on her, namely being her emotional barriers, she and Tanner had always done this thing where when he was curious about something he asked to be enlightened. It was understood between the two of them that Ally was then in control of whether or not she wanted to share whatever was bothering her.

She sighed knowing that eventually she'd have to share this with him and that it probably should've been done sooner. "We were involved."

Tanner nodded, a look of understanding adorning his face. "Romantically, I presume?"

She scoffed and shook her head, "I don't know if I'd go that far. We went on one date, then fucked a couple of times."

His eyebrows lifted comically higher at the callousness of her tone. It seemed so harsh, so impersonal. And while he was certainly used to her being closed off, he'd never heard her sound quite like that.

"And would I be correct in assuming that you had no idea he was the Next Big Thing?" He repositioned himself so that he was straddling the log and facing her.

"Yes. That's correct. I wasn't even aware he was writing music. I knew he played but only ever casually. He was still into photography when I knew him." She looked down at Tanner's hand resting on her thigh, her fingers dragging across his knuckles.

"What do you mean _when _you knew him? You still know him, Ally."

She looked back at the blonde and how much he'd changed. His hair was lighter, likely a result of the sweltering L.A sun. A light layer of scruff clouded his jaw, more than he'd ever allowed during the months of their involvement. And he carried himself differently…less arrogant. More defeated. "No. I don't think I do."

Deciding that Ally had probably had enough of talking about her prior fling, Tanner attempted to veer the conversation back to somewhat more stable ground. "Well apparently he had his heart broken real bad. Or he's just an excellent story teller."

This quickly drew her attention back to the man beside her. With a furrowed brow she asked, "What do you mean?"

"His song. Amnesia? It's deep. " He rolled his shoulders and tilted his head to the side, pulling his cup back to his lips. "I'd never want to experience that kind of pain."

Ally's stomach churned. She _knew, _just _knew _that it had to be about her. He'd told her time and again that she was the only woman besides Cassidy to leave an impact in his life. And earlier when Austin had run his hands through his hair she'd immediately recognized the old habit as his nervous tick. She just assumed it was because of her relationship with Tanner. She now realized it was because the song he would play tonight was about her. Hell, the whole EP could be about her. And they both had to live with knowing that. While her current boyfriend remained oblivious.

The couple didn't get the chance to finish the conversation because just then, Austin hopped up on the makeshift stage. The corners of Ally's mouth turned up as she immediately recognized the Gibson guitar that she'd once had the pleasure of playing. Clearly excited, Tanner took hold of her hand and pulled her away from the fire to within five feet of the blonde's performance space. Surrounded by other eager concert-goers, she vaguely took notice of her camera crew in the distance ready to capture her reactions on film.

Great.

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"Who's ready to rock?' Austin calmly asked into the stand-alone microphone, swinging his guitar to rest against his back. He smiled at the roaring reaction, still so shocked that he was even able to say he had fans. His eyes drew back and forth across each member of the crowd, trying to imbed this moment into his memory since it was his first time performing most of his set-list. He stopped when he landed on Ally in the second row.

She looked….anxious.

Good. That was good.

After getting over the initial shock of her being here and him having to play for her, he concluded that she needed to hear him sing his words. She needed to see how much power they bore. And she needed to know that she wasn't just another notch on his bedpost.

So he made a spur of the moment decision. "Alright, I had originally intended to come out here and get you guys pumped up with a new song of mine called Anna Sun, but how about we go ahead and throw what we know and I sing Amnesia for you instead?"

More deafening encouragement. He smirked. "Well alright then. Let's do it."

As he began to strum, he noticed Ally's body visibly tense. Tanner slipped his arms around her from behind, unknowingly giving Austin even more emotion to draw upon. As he took his first breath to sing though, he lost all courage and tore his gaze from hers, focusing instead on the lyrics.

"_I drove by all the places we used to hang out getting wasted. I thought about our last kiss, how it felt the way you tasted…"_ As he continued to sing, he took a moment to remember the softness of her lips and how they felt pressed against his own. The feel of her body the last time he'd held her, right before he'd left was something he'd never been able to shake. She was pliant, and giving, practically sinking into his warmth. It had been a direct contrast to what she'd said she wanted. But now here she was, wrapped in the arms of another, all because he'd been an idiot and couldn't express his feelings.

As the chorus swelled, he still couldn't bring himself to look at her so he shut his eyes and poured all of his emotion into his voice instead. _"I wish that I could wake up with amnesia. And forget about the stupid little things. Like the way it felt to fall asleep next to you, and the memories I never can escape." _Like a near death experience, every moment they had together projected across the back of his eyelids. That first photoshoot. Their duet in his office. How she felt pressed against him in the ocean. How she felt pressed against him in her bed. The way her body had tensed when those three words left his mouth. And the dark streaks of leftover make up that ran down her face when she told him to get out of her life. "_Cause I'm not fine at all." _

Finally opening his eyes, he carefully avoided meeting hers and focused instead on the spectators singing with him and swaying back and forth. But as the second verse progressed and he realized what lyrics were about to come out, his gaze snapped to hers and he was shocked to be met with a storm of emotions in her dark orbs. _"It hurts to know you're happy, yeah, it hurts that you've moved on. It's hard to hear your name when I haven't seen you in so long. It's like we never happened, was it just a lie? If what we had was real, how could you be fine?"_

Her chocolate eyes glistened with the threat of tears and she stood completely still, staring at him with an emotion he couldn't quite read. Tanner was swaying behind her, seemingly oblivious to the nonverbal exchange occurring between his girlfriend and the performer, which was probably best for all three of them.

"_If today I woke up with you right beside me, like all of this was just some twisted dream, I'd hold you closer than I ever did before. And you'd never slip away. And you'd never hear me say."_ He couldn't pretend not to notice the raspy key his voice had taken on. Pain ripped through him as he thought of all the "what if's" and "could've beens" that swirled around their brief time together. The tightness in his chest was back, accompanied by a lump in his throat. His time with her felt incomplete, which was the worst of all the feelings. It'd be different if they had played their relationship out, gotten the chance to see if it would work. But as he glanced at the man pressed into her back, Austin realized that Ally Dawson would always be his one that got away. _"Tell me this is just a dream. 'Cause I'm really not fine at all."_

Reluctantly taking his eyes from her, he cleared his throat and used the applause as a time to compose himself. Pulling his guitar strap over his shoulder he spoke into the mic, "Thank you guys so much. I'll be back in twenty to share my next song with you!"

He placed his guitar on its stand before practically running off the stage towards the waves.

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Luckily the stage had been built with a tall wall as the backdrop, allowing for some sense of privacy on the section of beach behind it. Breathing in the crisp air of the night and the smell of the burning wood, Austin finally slowed to a walk as he got further away from the virtual strangers that had no idea the amount of havoc that singing that song had wreaked on his heart.

"Austin!"

Oh, right. There was one very much not stranger who had seen him pour his usually well-contained guts out onto that stage. He turned towards the sound of the yell.

She was storming towards him, feet pulsing into the sand with every step. Her eyes were alit with something. He couldn't tell what exactly it was until she got closer and the resounding clap of her palm meeting his cheek rung through the air.

Rage. Her eyes were alit with rage.

"How _dare _you?!" She spoke low. Scary low. The kind of low that you had to lean forward just to hear. The kind of low that said the speaker was barely containing themselves from losing it.

Knowing he deserved to get slapped by her, Austin clenched his jaw. "I didn't-"

"No!" There goes the low voice. Now she was yelling, and her finger was pressed tightly into his chest. "You don't get to talk! I'm talking, got it?"

He nodded in consent, figuring that she probably had to get some things out after being proverbially bitch slapped with the brunt of his regrets.

"How dare you get on that stage and sing that song in front of me, Austin Moon. How dare you even have the audacity to write such a song! Pretending like our fling broke you! Like you even know what it _feels _like to be _that _broken! That song was…." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head, eyes dropping to the millions of granules of sand beneath them.

"It was what I feel." He softly provided. It did kind of hurt that she only considered him to be a "fling".

She laughed without humor, shaking her head before meeting his eyes again. "How can you even say that? It isn't what you feel. It isn't what you felt. You left me without a single look back, Austin! You didn't call! You didn't text! You didn't even send a damn 'sorry I fucked you, told you I loved you, then ran away' bouquet! You! Just! Left!" Her arms were waving frantically and as her volume increased he was thankful for the random music playing higher up on the beach.

Feeling as though he was about to split open with all the things she had thus far prevented him from saying, he finally made the conversation two sided. "Ally, you told me to go! Yes, I ran after I told you I love you, I live with that regret _every fucking day _and I tried to apologize! You were having none of it, remember? _You're _the one who said I never loved you, not me!"

"Then why the hell didn't you try?!"

He wanted to rip his hair out and nearly did as he quickly reached up to pull at the blonde strands before throwing his hands back down, "Try _what, _Ally?!"

"Try to show me that you loved me!" With that sentence it was as though all fight left her body. Her shoulders caved, her head dropped a fraction of an inch, and her voice returned to its usual decibel, "Why didn't you put your money where your mouth was?"

He reached out for her but she shook her head once sharply, telling him to abort that action. "I wanted to give you time…I didn't know what to do or say. I'm no good at relationships. You know that."

An animalistic noise filled her throat and just like that she was revved up again. "Do you _ever _take responsibility for your own actions?! You couldn't call because _I _needed time, or because you're 'no good at relationships'? Just admit you were lying, Austin!"

Having officially reached his ropes end, he let his heart overtake his mind. She squealed in surprise as he tackled her to the sand, making sure to wrap himself around her so that he'd take the brunt of the fall. With her back flat on the beach, he settled himself between her legs and ran his fingers across the exposed skin of her torso, never breaking eye contact with her. Doe orbs widened as she clutched his shoulders, desperately trying to control her breathing. "_Stop saying I'm lying. _Or that I _was _lying. Ally, you have no fucking idea how strong my feelings for you are."

Running his hand from her abs to the taut muscle of her thigh, he drew small circles against the skin there, eyes rememorizing every inch of her face. "I wanted to be with you all the time. When I'm not with you, I think about what I would be doing if I were. When I was with you it was like time suspended, leaving the whole world still except for you and I." The hand not on her thigh found itself buried in her hair, his thumb brushing along her jaw. She trembled.

"Being with you fed me more than any nourishment. I was always full around you. It feels like I'm in an endless tunnel that swept me up in a whirlwind and now I'll never be free from it." All of this had been discovered by him through hours of reflection over the past twelve months, "There hasn't been anyone else, Ally. Not since you. Not in any way."

The way he said it sent a tingle straight to her core. Although it wasn't spoken outright, she knew that he was telling her he'd been celibate since her. And strangely enough, she believed him. His brown eyes were clear of any mistruths.

"The way you felt under me, the way you _feel _under me. No one could ever come close to that." He leaned forward slowly so that his warm breath brushed against the shell of her ear, "I have to fuck myself, you know? When I lose control of my thoughts and images of you writhing against me pop into my head. I use the memories of your moans as a soundtrack…and when I cum its your name on my lips. Always."

As the passion of his words slid over her body, her back involuntarily arched against him and her head dropped. She was certain he was going to have crescent shaped scars from where her nails currently dug into his shoulders. Somewhere in the back of her mind though, she knew this was wrong.

She just couldn't seem to remember _why _it was wrong.

Austin nuzzled her neck, lips barely ghosting over the soft skin there. Taking note of the warmth and the weight of him over her, the reason slammed into her like a freight train.

_Tanner._

"Austin…" she managed to breathe out. He, however, mistook it for encouragement and moved his lips down to her collarbone. "Austin…please…" She pushed against his shoulders as best she could, but her body _really _wasn't cooperating with her mind right now.

"What, Ally? Tell me what you want…" Course fingers were moving higher up her thigh, getting closer to her most intimate part.

"I want….stop….Austin." She tried to pull herself together long enough to form a complete sentence, "I want you to stop."

He did. Immediately. And she would be forever grateful for that. Because if he'd pushed any harder, there was a very high chance that she would've given in.

"Als…" He placed his forehead against hers, breathing rapidly and trying to slow the pace of his heart, "If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don't want this, then I'll stop."

She closed her eyes, hoping that not seeing him would help her clear her head a bit. "I can't do that."

She couldn't. Because she _did _want this. Wanted _him. _

She slid her thumb across the dip in his chin. "But if you love me like you say you love me…" And after his monologue she had started to believe he did just a tad more than she had ten minutes ago, "then you won't make me a cheater."

Her soft words sent realization dawning over him. Ally wasn't his to take. She belonged to someone else now. He rolled off of her.

And before he could say another word, she was headed back up the beach. The memory of the moment they'd just shared already filing itself into his mental archives of her.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: As many of you know I have left the Twitter due to personal reasons. I have not yet deactivated my account, but just know that the best way to contact me will be here from now on. **

**That being said, this chapter is inspired by a very special Twitter friend of mine that most of you probably know as flowerrrs25. 3**

**I highly suggest checking my bio for the Polyvore for this chapter. **

"What are you doing here?"

Austin let his eyes roam over the woman in front of him in confusion. He'd seen her in a variety of states. Red carpet ready, her typical daytime chic, broken hearted, and even thoroughly ravished, yet as she stood in the doorway of her apartment with her face flushed, chest heaving, and hair thrown up in a sloppy top knot he couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on.

"Are you sick?" he moved to place the back of his free hand against her forehead but Ally was faster and slapped it away before he could make contact.

She huffed, inadvertently blowing a loose piece of hair away from her face, "No, I'm not sick. But I repeat, what are you doing here?"

He quirked his brow at the very apparent annoyance in her tone, "I brought a peace offering…" he lifted a bag that clearly had the logo of her favorite Thai restaurant on the side, "Pad Thai. I was hoping we could talk, but I can just drop it and go if you're busy…or whatever."

Silent for a few moments, she sighed pushing aside the frustration coursing through her veins and widening the door for him to enter, "No, no, come in. I'm sorry I'm a little testy. It's been a rough morning."

"Clearly." The blonde responded, eyes jerking comically around her living area to see that her couches and coffee table were pushed against the wall creating a cleared space in the middle of the apartment. "Redecorating, are we?"

Rolling her eyes, she took the bag from his hand and headed to the kitchen for plates. "Ha ha. You're hilarious."

He waited for further explanation but receiving none he took a seat on the barstool across from her and continued his inquiry. "Then…what are you doing?"

The brunette grimaced, "Dancing."

He couldn't stop the laughter that rumbled in his throat.

"Stop." If looks could kill he'd have been six feet under.

Biting the inside of his cheek he tried to control his emotions, "Why are _you_ dancing?"

They'd talked about it before. While a very talented actress, and even musician, there was no way that anyone would ever label Ally Dawson a triple threat.

Because she had two left feet.

Actually people who physically had two left feet would probably be able to dance better than her.

"It's in my script for the episode we're filming next week." She slumped her upper half over the island, resting her forehead on her folded arms. His eyes visibly darkened as his memory brought him back to the last time when she'd been in that position. The last time they'd slept together. "Iz ta amacoda."

"What? I can't understand you when you're using your arm as a bullhorn."

Another death glare was sent his direction as her head lifted from its resting spot. "It's to Anaconda."

Silence.

A blink.

Another blink.

Riotous laughter.

"Ow! Fuck, Ally!" The laughing ceased as he rubbed the sore spot on his arm where she had reached across to hit him, "What the hell?"

"Don't laugh! They really expect me to do this and be _good _at it!" Lifting up the two plates she had just dished, she sat at the barstool next to him. "It's supposed to be 'seductive'."

This time his chuckle is not malicious or in jest, but rather in disbelief. "That shouldn't be a problem for you."

She ignored the statement, offering only a light hum, wanting nothing more than to avoid the topic of their failed relationship. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Us." Noticing her body visibly tense he quickly continued speaking, "Well….Our friendship."

"Friendship?" The brunette slowly responded, sighing in exasperation. "What friendship, Austin? You disappeared for a year, remember?"

"Ally, you told me to-"

She held up a hand to silence him. "Let's not do this again. I'm already too frustrated to have this fight."

Really though she was having a hard time ignoring the streak of arousal that shot between her legs as she recalled the way they'd ended this fight last time.

"I don't want to fight. Promise." The blonde turned in his seat so that he was facing the actress, "I want to be your friend. Just your friend. I miss that. Well, I miss the other stuff too…." He said with a playful shrug when she raised both eyebrows at him, "But I really miss being your friend. Texting you about stupid things at all hours of the night. Watching those God awf…esome documentaries with you. And your sarcasm. Damn it, if I don't miss your sarcasm."

"I'm happy with Tanner." She wasn't sure why that was the first thing she blurted out but for some reason she deemed it necessary that it be brought to the blonde's attention.

Two large hands were raised in innocence. "I know. Just friends."

"Why now? After so long?"

"Seeing you the other night made me realize just how bad of shape I've been in. I've been burying myself in music, hoping that by recording and doing press stuff it'd keep me occupied enough to forget what exactly I'd lost. You were one of my best friends. I don't let myself get close to people often, but you and I just clicked, you know? I don't want to live my life knowing that I did nothing to try to fix our friendship. So that's what I'm doing."

"And what about that stunt you pulled at the bonfire?"

He didn't have to ask to know what she was referring to, the memory of her underneath him had repeatedly kept him up until the wee hours of the morning. "It won't happen again. Scout's honor."

Chewing a bite of noodles the brunette tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, "Were you even a Boy Scout?"

"No, but that's not the point." He shot her a wink and stood from his seat. "And my first official duty as _friend _will be teaching you how to dance to Nicki Minaj."

The bun atop her head began furiously moving side to side as she shook her head in opposition. He took both of her hands in his guiding her to the space she had previously cleared that was posing as a makeshift dance floor. "Do you even _know_ how to dance?"

The blonde looked positively affronted at her suggestion and quickly tucked his foot behind his ankle, dropped to the floor, and used only his leg muscles to pick himself up again, all while completing a 360 degree rotation. "Yes, smart ass. I even know how to dance."

Her jaw dropped in surprise, "How come you never told me?"

"I didn't want you to feel worse about your dance skills." He offered with an arrogant grin. "Now, why are you wearing that?"

She looked down at her sweatpants and loose tank before meeting his eyes in confusion, "These are my dance clothes."

"Yeah if you're dancing to Biggie or Kanye, maybe." He shook his head as he took a step closer to her. "Let me ask you something. Do you feel sexy in those clothes?"

The actresses guard shot straight up at the mention of anything sex related leaving the blonde's mouth. "I mean, not particularly no."

He nodded knowingly, "So how do you expect to seduce someone else if you don't even feel sexy yourself?"

She blinked. "I…well…I-"

"Take your pants off."

"_Excuse me?!" _

"Oh calm down, I can see that you have shorts on underneath and it's not like I haven't seen it all anyway."

"I'm _not _taking my pants off, Austin."

"Suit yourself." He shrugged and took a seat on the sofa. His hand flew out loosely as he gestured to the dance floor. "Proceed."

"I thought you said you were going to help me!"

"How can I help you if you don't listen to what I say?"

There was a pregnant pause during which the actress quickly analyzed her situation. She had been practicing for an hour and it was going terribly for her. Her director, castmates, and producers expected her to pull this off, and she was a thespian, damnit! Her entire career was based on doing things that pushed her out of her comfort zone. Unfortunately, she just needed a bit of help with this one. And Austin was right, it was nothing he hadn't seen before.

The blonde waited patiently for Ally to finish her thoughts. He tried not to smile at the different expressions crossing her face as she rationalized the pros and cons of his suggestion, but it was something so typically her that it was slightly comforting. The smile broke through however, when she dropped her sweats to the floor.

Amber eyes trailed over taut calves, muscle well defined from her regular wear of stilettos. Up to creamy thighs that he couldn't help but to remember felt perfect wrapped around him. And finally over the most perfect ass he'd ever seen in his life. Tight and pert, especially encased in the barely there, painted on, hot pink running shorts she now donned.

"You're drooling, Monica."

Looking up he saw a perfectly shaped eyebrow lifted in amusement. Smirking, he stood back up and began to walk to her entertainment center, where her iPod was plugged in and ready to go. "Ally, do you have a favorite brand of pickles?" She nodded in affirmation. "And you know it's your favorite. You know why it's your favorite. You can pick it out during a blind taste test of pickles. However, every time you taste this specific brand of pickles, you applaud yourself for picking such a wonderfully delicious brand of pickles, no matter how used to them you may be."

Not really following where he was going with this, she just nodded again.

"Ally, I'm saying this purely platonically, your body is a _very delicious_ brand of pickles." The blonde turned to press play on the music before she could respond. "Now show me what you have."

Her breath hitched at his words but wanting to get away from this topic just as quickly as he seemed to want to, she let Nicki's words wash over her and began to dance.

Not even fifteen seconds later, Austin stopped the music again. "How is a monkey climbing a rope supposed to be seductive?"

The corners of pink lips turned downward, "What? That wasn't a monkey climbing a rope. That's how I dance when I go out with friends…."

"Don't get a lot of numbers, do you?" He smiled to soften the blow of his words and grabbed the remote to her stereo set. "Alls, you need to _feel _the music."

Doe eyes rolled at how cliché that statement was. "Do you watch a lot of dance movies?"

He didn't miss the sarcasm dripping from her words. Stepping up in front of her he continued on, "I know people say that all the time…but it's true. You know music. Just listen to the rhythm."

He moved behind her now, and she suppressed a shiver as his breath ghosted across her neck. He pointed the remote towards the stereo and the music started again. Quickly shoving it into his back pocket, he lightly gripped her waist and began to talk her through the song. "Listen to this first verse. It's slower, smoother. Her words seem to roll into each other. _Boy toy named Troy used to live in Detroit…"_

Her heart was pounding, reacting to the familiar warmth of his breath as he sang into her ear. He had begun guiding her hips left and right in a rolling motion, having her hit the back-beat of the song. "This is the rhythm you should have during this verse. Soft hits…"

The heat from his body was burning her back, and she could feel her breath quickening despite the low intensity of their current movement. Her body was very much not cooperating in its response to him.

_Traitor, _she thought to herself.

"Right here, it get's a little more sultry. In both her words and the tempo. _Now that's real, real, reaaaaallll." _He sang, leading her hips in a large circle, during the last drug out "real", being very careful not to press to tightly against her for fear of her feeling the proof of what this intimate task was doing to him. "_Gun in my purse bitch, I came dressed to kiiiiill." _

His fingers momentarily tightened against her torso when, without his guidance, she once again circled her hips during the last syllable but much wider than he had. Inadvertently, causing her ass to brush against the ever hardening appendage between his leg. "That's it…now listen here. This is where the beat really picks up, really staccato. Hard hits. This is like…"

Hearing the blonde trail off behind her without finishing his sentence, Ally turned her head to look over her shoulder at him, "It's like what?" she whispered.

Lowering his head to speak directly into the curve of her ear, he husked, "Really _good _sex."

Her eyes widened comically and she jerked away from his body turning to face him from no less than three feet away. "Okay, I think I'm good now."

Eyes glazed over in confusion and disassociation cleared upon the realization of what he'd just said. "I should…" he gestured awkwardly towards the door. "I'm going to go."

Wordlessly, she nodded.

Grabbing his previously abandoned keys and wallet from the island, the blonde quickly left the apartment, not once glancing back.

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"Austin came by earlier."

She spoke the words casually into the air, eyes glued to the TV while the man she was currently dating massaged her calves which were draped over his legs.

Not faltering his movements in the slightest, Tanner responded. "Oh?"

"Yeah, he…um…wanted to talk about the bonfire." She had been going back and forth all afternoon about whether or not she wanted to tell her boyfriend about what had occurred with Austin. She ultimately decided to have the discussion not just to ease her guilt, but because she knew that Tanner would play the devil's advocate in regards to why being friends with the blonde would be a terrible idea.

He nodded understandingly and glanced her way, "You mean when he sang that heartbreaking song about you then you chased him to the most secluded part of the beach?"

The actress froze, "You knew."

It was more of a statement than a question.

"You, Ally Dawson," he grabbed under her knees to pull her closer, resulting in her straddling his lap and letting her arms hang lazily over his shoulders, "are not a very difficult person to read. You were practically seething by the time he finished the song. And just a little smidge of advice, love; when you say you're going to go get drinks to cover for the fact that you're running after your ex, it makes it slightly more believable if you actually come back bearing drinks."

The playful hint to his voice was obvious and she tilted her head in confusion. "Why aren't you angry?"

He began tracing lazy circles on the skin peeking out from under her shirt. "Because I trust you."

Her heart swelled at the statement. She ran a finger lightly across his collarbone. "Maybe you shouldn't."

"And why is that, love?" There was no malice or accusation in his tone. Just curiosity.

"Well…." she had no idea how much to tell him without scarring him or setting him ablaze with anger, "he also helped me with my dance for the show."

He held up a hand to stop her talking, eyebrow quirking in amusement. "Stop please. I do believe I have an idea of where this is going-"

"No, Tanner. I-"

"Shh. Trust me I do. You practiced a strip tease with your ex…did anything happen?"

Her head shook furiously, "No! My body just…" she let her voice trail off upon remembering who she was talking to. "Nothing happened. He left."

"Ally Dawson, you scandalous girl. How dare your body react while dancing wantonly with someone you used to sleep with." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

She slapped his chest, leaning back to look at him more carefully. "How are you not mad at me?"

He shrugged, gently kissing the corner of her lips and letting his lips linger. "I'm certainly not ecstatic about the situation. But you are a grown woman. You choose your own friends. I'm never going to be the type of guy to dictate your life, love. And I'm not naïve enough to believe that just because you're with me you aren't going to have physical reactions to other men…or women." He winked.

"You're ridiculous." She grinned widely, scratching her nails along his scalp.

"But…." She waited patiently, "promise me no more slutty dancing with anyone but me."

Her laugh lilted through the room. "I promise."


End file.
